Busan tourism: Urban national park attracts diverse hikers

Busan’s Mount Geumjeong is drawing hikers to Geumjeongsan National Park, which became Korea’s 24th national park in November 2025 and the first inside a major city. Visitors are using routes that connect Beomeo Temple, Geumjeong Fortress and other nearby sights. Busan city and Geumjeumg District are promoting hiking-linked tourism packages to keep visitors longer and spread spending to local businesses.

Geumjeongsan National Park covers 66.9 square kilometers across several Busan districts and part of Yangsan in South Gyeongsang Province.

The park provides habitat for 1,782 wildlife species, including 14 endangered species.

Templeking in Beomeosa drew 500 participants after running from June to August and again from September to November 2025.

Geumjeong Fortress Guard had 580 participants in 2019, and a district official said this year’s figure is expected to approach 2,000.

Selected tourism programs include Soul Trail in Mount Geumjeong, which runs 20 times from July through November and includes a version for foreign participants.

Published Sep 5, 2026 12:00 am KST

Geumjeongsan National Park offers easy subway access and panoramic views of the southern port city

The Geumjeongsanseong fortress wall stretches along the foothills of Geumjeongsan in Busan. Courtesy of Geumjeong District

On the morning of Aug. 25, hikers gathered in small groups outside Beomeosa Station on Busan Metro Line 1, in the city's Geumjeong District, and set off for Geumjeongsan National Park. From the station they walked about five minutes uphill and boarded the No. 90 city bus, which reached Beomeo Temple in about 10 minutes.

Roughly a dozen hikers rode the bus, along with about a dozen more visitors bound for Beomeo Temple and other nearby sites. Kim Jong-seok, 66, who had come from Seoul, said he knew little about the mountain.

"I didn't know much about Mount Geumjeong, but I came because I heard it had been designated a national park," he said. "It's more charming than I expected, and it's nice that you can see a famous place like Beomeo Temple at the same time."

Beomeo Temple, a Buddhist site at the foot of the mountain, is a favored starting point for Mount Geumjeong hikers. The first route heads from the North Gate of the fortress to Godang Peak to the East Gate, Wonhyobong Peak, the Third Watchtower and the South Gate, covering about 13 kilometers. A second route starts at the South Gate, includes a cable car to Geumgang Park and continues on foot. Depending on how far and how long people want to walk, hikers can loop back to their starting point or descend from a midpoint such as the East Gate. More than 200 trails cross Mount Geumjeong, connected like a spider web.

Hikers walk toward Buri Gate of Beomeo Temple in Geumjeongsan National Park in Busan. Korea Times photo by Kwon Kyoung-hoon

Mount Geumjeong, reachable from the city center by public transportation, became Korea's 24th national park in November 2025, and the Korea National Park Service took over full management on March 3. It is Korea's first national park inside a major city. The Busan city government and Geumjeong District are combining Beomeo Temple, Geumjeongsanseong — a fortress wall that runs along the ridgeline of the mountain— hot springs and local food with the hiking trails to build the mountain into a destination that keeps visitors in the area longer.

Past Daeung Hall, the main worship hall at Beomeo Temple, the trail toward the North Gate opens into dense forest. Wooden and stone stairs alternate, but the grade is never steep, and the climb allows hikers to take in the scenery.

International visitors are a common sight on the trail. Wei Ta, a Taiwanese hiker in their 20s, said, "I came with my mother because we heard Mount Geumjeong is the most famous mountain in Busan."

Jérémie, a French hiker in his 20s descending the middle slopes with his girlfriend, said he had found the mountain online.

"It's really beautiful and wonderful," he said.

At the North Gate, several young people were taking photos . Near the summit, Kyle, a 26-year-old American on a trip through Korea, said he had come straight from Mount Halla on Jeju Island.

"It's a national park you can reach easily on public transportation, and it's wonderful being able to look down on downtown Busan," he said.

Hikers rest and look down the mountain from Godang Peak in Geumjeongsan National Park in Busan. Korea Times photo by Kwon Kyoung-hoon

From the top of Godang Peak, panoramic views unfold of the Nakdong River estuary, the Gimhae Plain and the city of Yangsan in South Gyeongsang Province. On the path from the summit toward the East Gate, Geumjeong Fortress stretches far along the ridge. On the way down, the high-rises of Haeundae's Marine City and Gwangan Bridge come into view.

Geumjeongsan National Park covers 66.9 square kilometers, spanning Busan's Geumjeong, Buk, Dongnae, Busanjin, Sasang and Yeonje Districts, as well as the city of Yangsan in South Gyeongsang Province. It can be reached by subway and city bus, and it holds natural, historical and cultural assets including Beomeo Temple, Geumjeong Fortress, Sanseong Village and a collection of hot springs. It has earned the nickname "a treasure trove of natural ecosystems in the heart of the city," and provides habitat for 1,782 wildlife species, including 14 endangered ones.

The Geumjeong Fortress wall stretches along a forest trail in Geumjeongsan National Park in Busan. Korea Times photo by Kwon Kyoung-hoon

Busan Metropolitan City and Geumjeong District are also working to encourage hikers to venture beyond the mountain to nearby attractions and neighborhood businesses by linking the Beomeosa forest trail, Godang Peak and the fortress hike with local food and cultural experiences in Sanseong Village, and to bundle meditation, temple food and hot springs as tourism packages.

The city is developing outdoor tourism programs around the mountain so that hikers finish a walk and then eat local food, visit traditional markets and soak in the Dongnae hot springs. Packages combine a range of experiences including body scrubs, a mobile sauna bus and traditional liquor tasting. "Templeking in Beomeosa," which ran around the temple from June to August and again from September to November 2025, packaged mountain trekking with temple tours and Korean Buddhist temple cuisine, drew 500 participants.

Na Yun-bin, director general of the tourism bureau at the Busan city government, said the aim was to stop visitors from hiking and going straight home.

"We focused on connecting the tourism route so that visitors who come to Mount Geumjeong don't just hike and go home, but also use the surrounding attractions and experience programs," Na said.

A visitor looks at a trail map at Sanseong Pass, located between the East Gate and the South Gate, in Geumjeongsan National Park in Busan. Korea Times photo by Kwon Kyoung-hoon

The tour program "Soul Trail in Mount Geumjeong" links the Beomeo Temple perimeter trail, the temple grounds and the Seon (Zen) Culture Education Center, pairing trekking with meditation, temple food and a tea experience. Selected for Busan's locally tailored tourism project, it runs 20 times from July through November and includes a version for foreign participants.

The program changes by season. Summer brings guided trekking, singing-bowl and sutra-copying meditation, sound walking, a guided walk focused on ambient sounds, temple food and tea sessions. Autumn shifts to a pilgrimage format that visits the Beomeo Temple perimeter trail and the Seongbo Museum in person.

Geumjeong District also runs Geumjeong Fortress Guard, a program built on the fortress's history and culture. It operates from March through November, with local businesses in Sanseong Village, including restaurants and cafes, taking part.

"Participants numbered 580 in 2019, and this year the figure is expected to approach 2,000," a Geumjeong District official said.

A cable car connecting the South Gate of Geumjeongsan National Park in Busan to Geumgang Park at the foot of the mountain / Korea Times photo by Kwon Kyoung-hoon

Two programs aimed at foreign visitors, K Mountain Temple Nuri-gil and K Culture Salon, walk participants through Beomeo Temple and the forest trails, introduce traditional culture and take in the history and food of Geumjeong Fortress. Geumjeong Fortress Guard draws in Sanseong Village restaurants and cafes as partners, and provides visitors with discount coupons they can redeem immediately.

Yoon Il-hyun, head of Geumjeong District, said the mountain was meant to become a second pillar of the city's tourism.

"This is an effort to move Busan tourism beyond its existing focus on the sea, so that the Mount Geumjeong area becomes another axis of local tourism and visitors come back to Busan a second and third time," he said. "We will do our best to connect the heightened interest created by the national park designation with trekking, history and culture experiences, and local commerce, so that Mount Geumjeong establishes itself as a new K-Trail."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

釜山的金井山吸引着众多徒步爱好者前往金井山国家公园。该公园于2025年11月正式成为韩国第24个国家公园，也是首个位于主要城市内的国家公园。游客们选择徒步路线，这些路线连接着梵鱼寺、金井城和其他附近景点。釜山市和金井区正在推广与徒步相关的旅游套餐，以延长游客的停留时间，并促进当地商业发展。

金井山国家公园占地 66.9 平方公里，横跨釜山的几个区和庆尚南道梁山的部分地区。

该公园为 1782 种野生动物提供了栖息地，其中包括 14 种濒危物种。

2025 年 6 月至 8 月以及 9 月至 11 月，在贝奥梅奥萨岛举行的 Templeking 活动吸引了 500 名参与者。

2019 年金井城防卫队有 580 名成员参加，一位地区官员表示，今年的人数预计将接近 2000 人。

精选旅游项目包括金井山的“灵魂之旅”，该活动从7月到11月举办20次，并设有面向外国参与者的版本。

发布于2026年9月5日凌晨12:00（韩国标准时间）

金井山国立公园交通便利，可搭乘地铁轻松抵达，并可饱览南部港口城市的全景。

金井山城城墙绵延于釜山金井山的山麓。图片由金井区政府提供。

8月25日上午，登山者们三五成群地聚集在釜山地铁1号线梵鱼寺站外，该站位于釜山市金井区，他们随后出发前往金井山国家公园。从车站出来后，他们步行约5分钟上山，然后搭乘90路公交车，大约10分钟后到达梵鱼寺。

大约有十几名登山者乘坐巴士，还有十几名游客前往梵鱼寺及附近其他景点。66岁的金钟硕（音译）来自首尔，他说他对这座山知之甚少。

“我对金井山了解不多，听说它被指定为国家公园，所以就来了，”他说。“它比我想象的更迷人，而且还能同时参观像梵鱼寺这样的著名景点，感觉很棒。”

位于山脚下的梵鱼寺是一座佛教寺庙，也是金井山登山爱好者的热门起点。第一条路线从北门出发，途经古堂峰、东门、元晓峰、三号烽火台，最终到达南门，全程约13公里。第二条路线从南门出发，乘坐缆车前往金刚公园，然后继续步行。登山者可以根据自己的意愿选择行程的远近，返回起点，或者从东门等中途点下山。金井山上共有200多条登山步道，如同蜘蛛网般交错纵横。

登山者正走向釜山锦井山国立公园梵鱼寺的武里门。韩国时报 权京勋摄

从釜山市中心乘坐公共交通即可抵达的金井山，于2025年11月成为韩国第24个国家公园，并于3月3日由韩国国家公园管理局全面接管管理。它是韩国首个位于主要城市内的国家公园。釜山市政府和金井区政府正将梵鱼寺、沿山脊延伸的金井山城、温泉、当地美食以及徒步路线相结合，力图将金井山打造成为一个能够吸引游客延长停留时间的旅游目的地。

穿过梵鱼寺主殿大雄殿，通往北门的步道便进入一片茂密的森林。木阶和石阶交替出现，但坡度并不陡峭，攀登过程中，徒步者可以尽情欣赏沿途美景。

在登山步道上，经常可以看到国际游客的身影。一位名叫魏塔（音译）的台湾登山者，二十多岁，说：“我和妈妈一起来的，因为我们听说金井山是釜山最著名的山。”

20多岁的法国登山者杰里米和他的女朋友正在下山，他表示自己是从网上找到这座山的。

“这里真是太美了，太棒了，”他说。

在北门，几个年轻人正在拍照。在山顶附近，一位名叫凯尔的26岁美国人正在韩国旅行，他说他刚从济州岛的汉拿山过来。

“这是一个可以乘坐公共交通工具轻松到达的国家公园，而且能够俯瞰釜山市中心的感觉非常棒，”他说。

登山者在釜山金井山国立公园的古堂峰休息，俯瞰山景。韩国时报 权京勋摄

从古堂峰顶可以饱览洛东江入海口、金海平原以及庆尚南道梁山市的全景。从山顶前往东门的路上，金井城绵延在山脊之上。下山途中，海云台海洋城的高楼大厦和广安大桥也映入眼帘。

金井山国立公园占地66.9平方公里，横跨釜山市金井区、北区、东莱区、釜山镇区、沙上区和延济区，以及庆尚南道梁山市。公园交通便利，可乘坐地铁和公交车抵达。园内拥有丰富的自然、历史和文化资源，包括梵鱼寺、金井城、山城村以及众多温泉。金井山国立公园素有“城市中心的自然生态系统宝库”之称，是1782种野生动物的栖息地，其中包括14种濒危物种。

金井城墙沿着釜山金井山国立公园内的一条林间小径绵延展开。（韩国时报 权京勋摄）

釜山广域市和金井区也在努力鼓励登山者走出山巅，前往附近的景点和周边商铺，将梵鱼寺森林步道、古堂峰和堡垒徒步路线与山城村的当地美食和文化体验联系起来，并将冥想、寺庙美食和温泉打包成旅游套餐。

该市正在围绕这座山开发户外旅游项目，让徒步者在徒步结束后品尝当地美食、参观传统市场并泡东莱温泉。旅游套餐融合了多种体验，包括身体磨砂、移动桑拿巴士和传统酒品鉴。“梵鱼寺徒步之旅”于2025年6月至8月以及9月至11月在梵鱼寺周边举办，将登山徒步与寺庙参观和韩国佛教寺庙美食相结合，吸引了500名参与者。

釜山市政府旅游局局长罗云彬表示，此举旨在阻止游客徒步旅行后直接回家。

“我们致力于连接旅游路线，让来到金井山的游客不仅可以徒步旅行然后回家，还可以利用周边景点和体验项目，”罗女士说。

一名游客正在釜山锦井山国立公园东门和南门之间的山城峠查看步道地图。（韩国时报 权京勋摄）

“金井山心灵之旅”旅游项目将梵鱼寺周边步道、寺庙庭院和禅宗文化教育中心连接起来，融合了徒步、冥想、寺庙美食和茶道体验。该项目入选釜山本土化旅游项目，每年7月至11月期间举办20期，并设有面向外国游客的路线。

活动安排随季节变化。夏季包括徒步导览、颂钵冥想、抄经冥想、声音漫步、以环境音为主题的导览步行、寺庙饮食和茶道体验。秋季则转为朝圣之旅，带领参与者亲自参观梵鱼寺周边步道和城保博物馆。

金井郡还运营着金井城守卫队项目，该项目以金井城的历史和文化为基础，从3月到11月期间开展，山城村的当地商家，包括餐馆和咖啡馆，都会参与其中。

金井区一位官员表示：“2019 年的参与者人数为 580 人，预计今年的人数将接近 2000 人。”

釜山金井山国立公园南门与山脚金刚公园之间的缆车 / 韩国时报 权京勋摄

两项面向外国游客的项目——“K山寺游记”和“K文化沙龙”——带领参与者游览梵鱼寺和森林小径，介绍传统文化，并体验金井城的历史和美食。金井城守卫队与山城村的餐厅和咖啡馆合作，为游客提供可立即使用的折扣券。

金井区区长尹日铉表示，这座山将成为该市旅游业的第二个支柱。

“我们希望推动釜山旅游业摆脱目前以海洋为主导的局面，将金井山地区打造成为当地旅游的另一条主干线，吸引游客二度甚至三度重返釜山，”他说道。“我们将竭尽全力，把国家公园的设立所带来的浓厚兴趣与徒步旅行、历史文化体验以及当地商业活动结合起来，使金井山成为一条新的韩国旅游线路。”

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。