Climb Geumosan, Home of the Golden Crow

Geumosan Mountain gets its name from a vision that Master Ado had of a golden crow flying through the sunset. At 976m above sea level, the mountain is not only beautiful but also rich with living history — Chaemijeong Pavilion, built to honor the loyalty of Yaeun Gil Jae; Geumosanseong Fortress, defended by General Jeong Gi-ryong during the Imjin War; Doseon Cave, said to be where National Preceptor Doseon practiced; and Yaksaam Hermitage and its rock-carved standing bodhisattva, located just below the summit of Geumosan. Pass through the metasequoia road and head to Geumosan to meet the golden crow.

Along the way

1. 1

   Chaemijeong Pavilion

   채미정

   This building is a pavilion built in 1768 (the 44th year of King Yeongjo of Joseon) to honor the loyalty and scholarship of Yaeun Gil Jae. Gil Jae passed the state examination in 1386 during the Goryeo dynasty, rising through the position of Seonggyungwan scholar to Munhajuseo. When Goryeo fell and the Joseon dynasty was established, he declined office, saying he could not serve two dynasties, and retired to Seonsan, where he kept his principles. The name 'Chaemi' comes from comparing Gil Jae's loyalty to the fallen Goryeo dynasty to the Chinese story of the loyal subjects Baek-i and Sukje, who gathered bracken (chaemi) rather than serve the new dynasty. Chaemijeong is a hip-and-gable-roofed building measuring three bays in front and three bays on the side, located to the right past Heunggimun Gate. Behind it stand, side by side, Gyeongmogak Hall, which houses King Sukjong's five-character verse in his own hand honoring Gil Jae's loyalty, and a monument pavilion.\nMoreLess

   

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2. 2

   Geumosanseong Fortress

   금오산성

   A mountain fortress in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, built with double stone walls — an inner and outer wall — enclosing the summit and valleys of the rugged, 976m-high Geumosan Mountain. The inner wall was built encircling the summit like a band, with a circumference of about 10 li; no separate wall was built where the cliffs were already steep enough. The outer wall encloses the valley, with a circumference of about 5 li, and the combined length of the inner and outer walls reaches 6.3km.\nMoreLess

   

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3. 3

   Haeunsa Temple

   해운사

   Where there is a mountain, there is a temple, and where there is a temple, there is a mountain. That is why those who love temples come to love mountains, and temples and mountains cannot be thought of separately. Moreover, fine mountains have fine temples, with many stories and legends and traces of eminent monks. And all of that flows, woven into the fabric of our lives. Geumosan, a renowned mountain of Yeongnam, likewise has relics and temples throughout, entwined with legend and anecdote, drawing visitors in every season.\nMoreLess

   

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4. 4

   Geumosan Summit

   금오산정상

   Geumosan (976m) rises along a branch ridge of the Sobaek Mountains, its entire form made up of steep, jagged cliffs, with scenic spots scattered throughout. Designated a provincial park in 1970, it has since been equipped with tourist facilities; the whole mountain is composed of rock, with many steep cliffs, and a cable car runs from the foot of the mountain to Daehye (Myeonggeum) Falls.\nMoreLess

   

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5. 5
   Yaksaam Hermitage

   약사암

   Located at the summit of Geumosan Mountain, at San 24, Namtong-dong, Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Yaksaam is a branch temple of Jikjisa, the head temple of the 8th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Geumosan spans Gumi, Gimcheon, and Chilgok-gun in Gyeongsangbuk-do and boasts a distinctive mountain form. The summit area forms a basin, below which sheer cliffs stand like a folding screen, making the terrain quite steep. The summit consists of Wolhyeonbong, Yaksabong, and Bobong peaks; near the summit, the terrain resembles a bird about to take flight into the sky, or, from another angle, the face of a person lying down. Geumosan became a scenic destination well equipped with tourist facilities after being designated a provincial park in 1970. Near the summit stands Geumosanseong Fortress, and the mountain, a famous spot for autumn foliage sometimes called 'Geumgang,' has long been ranked among the eight scenic wonders of Gyeongsangbuk-do.\nMoreLess

   

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