The Scent of History Scattered Along the Namhan River

Traveling along the Namhan River in Yeoju means encountering history spanning many long years. The encounter is as evocative as looking at a painting, and lingers all the longer in the memory. Visit Yeongneung, the tomb of King Sejong and Queen Soheon, and the other Yeongneung, the tomb of King Hyojong and Queen Inseon; take in Yeongwollu Pavilion and Silleuksa Temple, both overlooking the Namhan River, and continue on to Godalsa Temple Site and Pasaseong Fortress, savoring the beauty of the riverside all the while.

Along the way

1. 1

   Yeongneung (英陵) and Yeongneung (寧陵), Yeoju [UNESCO World Heritage]

   여주 영릉(英陵)과 영릉(寧陵)) [유네스코 세계문화유산]

   Yeongneung is one of the tombs that best exemplifies the royal tomb system of the Joseon Dynasty. Its layout follows feng shui principles: the main mound sits partway up the slope with Mt. Chingseongsan, the guardian mountain, at its back, flanked on the left and right by the 'blue dragon' and 'white tiger' ridges, and facing south toward the distant Mt. Bukseongsan as its guardian peak. A hongsalmun (red spiked gate) stands at the entrance to the tomb precinct, and a spirit path leads from there to the T-shaped ritual hall (jeongjagak). MoreLess

   ReviewsSaveDirections
2. 2

   Yeongwollu Pavilion

   영월루

   On the road from Yeoju-eup toward Silleuksa Temple, just before Yeoju Bridge, an elegant old pavilion surrounded by green woods comes into view atop a rise on the right — this is Yeongwollu. Based on the shape of its ikgong brackets and overall structure, it is presumed to have been built around the late 18th century. Yeongwollu originally stood as the main gate of Yeoju City Hall; around 1925, when the pavilion faced demolition, then-magistrate Shin Hyeon-tae is said to have had it moved and re-erected at its current location. MoreLess

   

   ReviewsSaveDirections
3. 3

   Silleuksa Temple

   신륵사

   Silleuksa Temple is located on the eastern slope of Mt. Wolaksan (elevation 1,094m). Administratively, it stands at 803-5 Wolak-ri, Deoksan-myeon, Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. Silleuksa, a Seon (meditation) monastery in the deep valley of Mt. Wolaksan, Jecheon, is a branch temple of Beopjusa, the head temple of the 5th District of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is located at 803-5 Wolak-ri, Deoksan-myeon, Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, North Chungcheong Province, in a deep valley of Mt. Wolaksan. Nothing is clearly known about the circumstances of its founding. MoreLess

   

   ReviewsSaveDirections
4. 4
   Godalsa Temple Site, Yeoju

   여주 고달사지

   This is the site of the now-defunct Godalsa Temple. Godalsa was founded in 764, the 23rd year of King Gyeongdeok's reign, and is also known as Godalwon. During the Goryeo Dynasty, it enjoyed the patronage of successive kings beginning with King Gwangjong, but exactly when it fell into ruin remains unclear. The temple site lies at the foot of Mt. Hyemoksan in Yeoju. MoreLess

   

   ReviewsSaveDirections
5. 5

   Pasaseong Fortress, Yeoju

   여주 파사성

   This fortress is a stone mountain fortress built along the ridge centered on the summit of Mt. Pasasan, at an elevation of about 250m. Part of the fortress juts out over the riverbank, making it a strategic vantage point with a sweeping view both upstream and downstream. MoreLess

   

   ReviewsSaveDirections