In the middle years of the Goryo dynasty, there lived a man called Yun Gwon. The government sent him to select a field to the south of Mount Beg Ag, which is the high rocky mountain near Seoul, now known as Mount Bug Han, and to plant plum trees there. But when they began to grow large, he was ordered to prune them ruthlessly so that their branches should not grow thick, for Do Son, the famous Buddhist of the Kingdom of Silla, had inscribed on a stone on one of the peaks of Mount Beg Ag, ‘The next King shall be Yi (which means plum), and the capital shall be transferred to Han Yang (the old name of Seoul).’

 

As thus predicted, a general named Yi deposed the King, and reigned in his stead. But there were many who remained loyal to the former Kimg, and they compelled Yi to move his capital from Gesong. So he summoned a noted Buddhist, by name Muhag, who lived in a small temple of Mount Godal, and bade him select a site for a new capital.

 

Muhag set out, and crossing over Mount Beg Ag, he came to Dong-Ya, ‘Eastern Field,’ just south of the mountain. He stood there pondering where he should go, when he heard a farmer plowing. He was shouting at his ox and saying, ‘You are as stupid as Muhag (which means illiterate), always going the wrong way!’ The Buddhist Muhad pricked up his ears when he heard this, for it sounded as if it referred to him. So he said to the farmer, ‘You just said your ox was as stupid as Muhag. My name is Muhag. Perhaps you can help me. I am looking for a site for a new capital, and this seems a likely place. What do you think about it?’ The farmer then advised him to go ten ni (two-and-a-half miles) to the northwards. The field where they met is now called Wang Sim Nyi, which means ‘Go 100 ni,’ and it is said that a stone inscribed with these words was found buried in the field.