Encountering the Buddha's Mercy on the Slopes of Mt. Palgongsan

Palgongsan Provincial Park, which encompasses part of Gyeongsan, is home to the Gatbawi Buddha (formally the Rock-Carved Seated Buddha of Gwanbong), said to grant one sincere wish to anyone who prays devoutly. The area also preserves venerable temples with histories spanning a thousand years, including Bulgulsa, Seonbonsa, and Wonhyoam, making it a fine place to explore Buddhist heritage. Why not climb up to Gatbawi and make the one wish held closest to your heart?

Along the way

1. 1

   Bulgulsa Temple

   불굴사

   Bulgulsa sits on the southern foot of Mt. Palgongsan and takes its name from the fact that a Buddha statue was enshrined inside a natural rock cave. It is said to have been founded in the 10th year of Silla King Sinmun (690); at its height it is said to have been a great temple complex with some 50 tiled buildings, 12 hermitages, and eight water mills. It was washed away by a flood in the 12th year of King Yeongjo of Joseon (1739) and disappeared, but was later rebuilt, reportedly by an elder monk from Songgwangsa Temple in Jeolla-do.\nMoreLess

   

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2. 2

   Wonhyoam Hermitage

   원효암

   Wonhyoam is a hermitage of Eunhaesa Temple, the head temple of the 10th District of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, located at 382 Daehan-ri, Wachon-myeon, Gyeongsan, on the slopes of Mt. Palgongsan. Mt. Palgongsan, a sacred mountain of the Korean people, is dotted throughout its valleys with prayer sites of renowned spiritual power, led by the Gatbawi Buddha, and with training grounds carrying on the Buddha's teaching. Despite its long history, however, Wonhyoam continues on quietly in a corner of the mountain as a place of quiet prayer. \nMoreLess

   

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3. 3

   Solmaegi Restaurant

   솔매기식당

   If you ask around Mt. Palgongsan for the place famous for hobakjeon (pumpkin pancakes), this is it. After a bite of the golden, freshly fried, piping-hot hobakjeon comes the feast of country-style tofu and minari (water dropwort) salad -- anyone who has tried it knows. \n* Info : 053-852-5566 \nMoreLess

   

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4. 4
   Seonbonsa Temple

   선본사

   Located below Gwanbong Peak of Mt. Palgongsan (八公山), Seonbonsa is a temple directly administered by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It was founded in the 13th year of Silla King Sojji (491) by the monk Geukdal, and rebuilt in 1614 by the great monk Sucheong. Among its cultural properties are the three-story stone pagoda of Seonbonsa, designated Gyeongsangbuk-do Tangible Cultural Property No. 115, and the Rock-Carved Seated Buddha of Gwanbong -- known as the Gatbawi Buddha, said to grant one sincere wish -- designated Treasure No. 431.\nMoreLess

   

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5. 5

   Gatbawi, Palgongsan Provincial Park

   팔공산도립공원 갓바위

   Mt. Palgongsan is a lofty, 1,193m peak north of Gyeongsan, known in the Silla period as Junak or Buak. It preserves numerous Silla-era temples and cultural sites, including the Rock-Carved Seated Buddha of Gwanbong (Gatbawi), Wonhyosa, Cheonseongsa, and Bulgulsa. \nMoreLess

   

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