Buddhist Relics

Hyangilam
The Hyangiram was established by the Buddhist priest, Wonhyo(617-86). The temple commands a magnificent view of the sunrise over the horizon of the South sea. This beautiful scenery gave this temple the romantic name 'Hyangiram', which means "the temple that looks towards the sun." Here, the wind from the sea does not contain much salt, so you can enjoy the fresh air without stickiness.

And you can also enjoy the whole scenery of the ocean at a glance, all the way to the horizon, in spite of the small islands. Many tourists visit here to see the sunrise around January. Designated cultural asset, this temple is located in the camellia forest, surrounded by the strange shaped rocks of the Kumosan mountain.

The mountain road that leads to this temple is quite steep, and you can see the stone gate near the temple, which stands between two huge rocks. The natural and historical beauty of this temple will be an unforgettable memory for visitors.

Paekyangsa
People of the Jeonlla Province usually say that 'The mountain is Naejangsan, and the temple is Paegyangsa'. This expression is based on the thought that among the famous temples in the Jeonlla Province, Paegyangsa is the most famous one.

With a rock cliff at the back and a pond, Ssanggyeru is very beautiful. Woonmunam, which is located 3.5 km in the back of Paegyangsa, has one of the greatest views among the many places in Paegyangsa.

Mihwangsa
A strange range of mountains is seen on the way to the end of the earth, the end of the Haenam peninsula. An indented rock ridge is continued, this mountains is Talmasan called Kumgangsan of the South. The height is 489m, the length of a ridge is about 12km.

In the Western mid-slope of Talmasan, Mihwangsa is located quietly. Mihwangsa had twelve small temples and many priests in prosperous times, but now only some building remains including Taeungbojon(Treasure No.947), Ungjinjon (Treasure No.1183) and Yosach'ae. And there are a wide field for Pudo(a stupa) and an deed monument.

Songgwangsa
Songkwangsa is a very old and well known temple. It produced the 16 masters of Buddhism, including the most famous master Chinul. It was also once one of the largest temple in Korea: it had as many as 60 buildings in it. Though most of them were destroyed during the Korean War, they were rebuit and became the general training temple for Buddhist priests. Over 100 Buddhist priests from many different institutes are living there.

Now it is the best known Buddhist seminary in Korea. In the International Zen Meditation Center many priests from all over world are studying Korean Buddhism.