Mureung Gyegok (Valley)
Surrounded by Dutasan and Cheongoksan, legend has it that this lovely valley west of the city is where fairies strolled. Given its idyllic beauty, it's easy to see why. Just a short way from the park's entrance, there is a large boulder with a poem from the 1570s engraved on it in Hanja (Chinese characters).
A little bit farther you will reach Samhwasa (aka Mureung Dowon; tel. 033/534-7676), the main temple of the area. Surrounded by granite peaks, you can do a temple stay focused on slow living. It was founded by Monk Jajang during the reign of Shilla Queen Seon-deok. A thousand-year-old temple, it was completely destroyed by the Japanese army in 1907. It was rebuilt the following year, but moved to its current location in 1977. The Vairocana Buddha statue and the trilevel pagoda from the Shilla period survived and were moved intact.
Surrounded by Dutasan and Cheongoksan, legend has it that this lovely valley west of the city is where fairies strolled. Given its idyllic beauty, it's easy to see why. Just a short way from the park's entrance, there is a large boulder with a poem from the 1570s engraved on it in Hanja (Chinese characters).
A little bit farther you will reach Samhwasa (aka Mureung Dowon; tel. 033/534-7676), the main temple of the area. Surrounded by granite peaks, you can do a temple stay focused on slow living. It was founded by Monk Jajang during the reign of Shilla Queen Seon-deok. A thousand-year-old temple, it was completely destroyed by the Japanese army in 1907. It was rebuilt the following year, but moved to its current location in 1977. The Vairocana Buddha statue and the trilevel pagoda from the Shilla period survived and were moved intact.
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