Songnisan is a mountain and

National Park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...

in South Korea. It lies in the

Sobaek mountains The Sobaek Mountains are a mountain range cutting across the southern Korean peninsula. They split off from the Taebaek Mountains and trend southwest across the center of the peninsula. They are traditionally considered to reach their southwest ...

along the border between

Gyeongsangbuk-do North Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상북도, translit=Gyeongsangbuk-do, ) is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remained a province of Korea until the ...

and

Chungcheongbuk-do North Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청북도, ''Chungcheongbuk-do''), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region in the ...

. Its main attractions are the temple

Beopjusa Beopjusa ( ko, 법주사 or Beopju temple) is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is situated on the slopes of Songnisan, within Songnisan National Park, in Naesongni-myeon, Boeun County, in the province of Chungcheongbuk-do, ...

and an especially picturesque peak, Munjangdae (1,029 m). The mountain's highest peak is Cheonhwangbong, at .Yu 2007, p.358. Literally ‘Mountain Removed from Worldliness,’ Songnisan is where the 7th-century Buddhist

temple is still located.

Park Details

The park total area is 234.5 km2 and is divided into three areas. These are Beopjusa, Hwayang, and Hwabuk. Over 1000 species of fauna live in the park and there are at least 830 species of flora. There are a total of 9 peaks, and 17 known temples. The

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple is the largest temple in central Korea and home to several Korean national treasures and the world's largest bronze Buddha.Korea National Park Service, 2006 Before the entrance, and on the hillsides above the Beopjsua temple there are many sculptures of turtles. One can be seen in the river just down stream of the temple and it is made from three boulders. One boulder with carved eyes representing the head and two representing the front flippers.

Munjangdae

Originally, Munjangdae(문장대, 文藏臺) was called Unjangdae(운장대, 雲藏臺) because of a big peak rises high into sky and is hidden in the cloud. One day, while King

Sejo of Joseon Sejo of Joseon (2 November 1417 – 23 September 1468), personal name Yi Yu ( Korean: 이유; Hanja: 李瑈), sometimes known as Grand Prince Suyang ( Korean: 수양대군; Hanja: 首陽大君), was the seventh ruler of the Joseon dynasty ...

took a rest and recuperation in Songnisan, a young nobleman appeared in his dream and said "If you climb into the sacred peak and pray there, your body will be improved." According to his words, King Sejo visited the peak and found the book describing the three moral rules to practice five human relations on the top. He read the book all day long on the spot. It was called Munjangdae after that.

Notes

References

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List of mountains of Korea The following is a list of mountains in Korea: List of mountains in North Korea Pyeongyang * Taesongsan (대성산; ) – Chagang Province * Namsan (남산; ) – * Obongsan (오봉산; ) – North Pyongan Province * Myohyangsan (묘향 ...

Mountains of South Korea Sangju Parks in North Gyeongsang Province Parks in North Chungcheong Province Mountains of North Chungcheong Province Mountains of North Gyeongsang Province Sobaek Mountains {{SouthKorea-geo-stub

Park Details

Munjangdae

See also

Notes

References