Gayasan National Park

Gayasan National Park, also known as Gaya Mountain National Park (Korean: 가야산국립공원), is a large national park in the eastern part of South Korea. The park is named in honor of Gaya Mountain and became a National Park in 1972.[2]

가야산국립공원, 伽倻山國立公園
Gaya Mountain National Park
Sanghwang peak, 2004.
Nearest cityDaegu, South Korea
Coordinates35°49′N 128°07′E
Area64.71 sq mi (167.6 km2)[1]
Established13 October 1972[1]
Governing bodyKorea National Park Service
The twenty-two national parks of South Korea.
Land-based parks are in red and marine parks are in blue.
Gayasan National Park
Hangul
가야산 국립공원
Hanja
伽倻山 國立公園
Revised RomanizationGayasan Gungnip Gongwon
McCune–ReischauerKayasan Kungnip Kongwŏn

The park includes Haeinsa, which is one of the main temples of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.[3]

Geography

Gayasan National Park covers an area of more than 160 square kilometers. The national park extends from the northern edge of South Gyeongsang Province, to the southern limit of North Gyeongsang Province. The Sobaek Mountain range runs through this area.

Gaya Mountain
Main article: Gayasan (North Gyeongsang/South Gyeongsang)

The national park is named in honor of Gaya Mountain. This mountain has two major peaks: one of them is Sangwangbong Peak, for which the height is 1,430 meters, and the other slightly higher peak, Chulbulbong, is 1,433 above sea level.

Special features
Main article: Haeinsa
Stone image of the standing Buddha (Korean Treasure No. 222)

One significant feature of the national park is Haeinsa. This Buddhist temple includes in its grounds a standing Buddha figure carved into a vertical rock.

Another feature of the park is Yongmun Falls and Hongnyudong Valley. 380 different species of plant have been identified as growing there, as well as 100 species of birds, and other wild animals.

History

The area was declared scenic site number 5 by the Korean government in 1966, and it became an official National Park in 1972.

The remoteness of the area has played a role in protecting it from destruction in the past, specifically during the Japanese invasions of 1592-98, when much of the country was razed.

Since that time, legend says that the area around Gaya Mountains is free from the Three Disasters: fire, floods and wind.

  • Gayasan from Haeinsa temple
    Gayasan from Haeinsa temple
  • Gayasan from Southeast
    Gayasan from Southeast
  • Ruins of Baekumam temple in Gayasan
    Ruins of Baekumam temple in Gayasan
  • Gayasan Castle in Gayasan
    Gayasan Castle in Gayasan
  • Stone walls near Chilbulbong Peak in Gayasan (1)
    Stone walls near Chilbulbong Peak in Gayasan (1)
  • Stone walls near Chilbulbong Peak in Gayasan (2)
    Stone walls near Chilbulbong Peak in Gayasan (2)
  • Sangwangbong Peak of Gayasan
    Sangwangbong Peak of Gayasan
  • Rituals of Buddhism in Gayasan
    Rituals of Buddhism in Gayasan

Recreation

Gayasan National Park has multiple hiking trails that run through the mountainous park.[4] The most trafficked trail begins in Heinsa Temple and contains a guard station that provides park information for visitors.

There are three designated campgrounds within the borders of the park for day use and overnight tent camping.[5]

References
  1. "Gayasan: Intro". Korea National Park Service. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  2. "Gayasan National Park (Hongnyudong, Cheongnyangdong Area) (가야산국립공원-홍류동,청량동지구) | Official Korea Tourism Organization". english.visitkorea.or.kr. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  3. "Jogye Order Temples | Welcome to Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism". koreanbuddhism.net. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  4. "Korea National Park". english.knps.or.kr. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  5. "Korea National Park". english.knps.or.kr. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
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