Global-Mariner

                                            KOREA

                                                     - images from KAYASAN -

                                         - featuring scenic mountainJeilbong -

                                                     -the Haeinsa temple -

                                    - and the World famous Tripitaka Koreana -

Page initiated:  2021-10-30

Page finished:  2021-10-31

Here is another very scenic national park, - Kayasan -, which is beautiful in any season.

A story goes, that a French ambassador to Korea once visited the beautiful valley leading up to the Haeinsa temple and got so impressed by the scenic beauty and special atmosphere of the place, that he decided, that when he died, he would like his ashes to be spread over this area, - and his wish was fulfilled!

The park is named after its highest peak,- Kayasan, 1430 meters -, but there are other peaks well worth to climb.

One is the Jeilbong, which I liked so much that I climbed it a couple of times, but from different directions. (That's why the keen observer will notice, that the light appears totally different on some of the Jeilbong pictures!)

An extra bonus to the Kayasan mountain is the Haeinsa temple,- one of Korea's three jewel temples -, where a truly a unique library of more than 80,000 old wood printing blocks, - the Tripitaka -, are stored.

These about 80,000 hand engraved wood blocks were made way back in year 1251 as a plea to the Buddha for aid against invaders. As history has shown, the invaders could not be kept from Korea's doorstep, but any invading force eventually vanished, - being it Mongols from the east or Japanese from the west -, but the old printing blocks with Buddha's teachings are still there, - as is Korea! So???? Who knows - - - ???

But for now, - please enjoy some of my impressions from my first trip to the Kayasan National Park in 1996. I had just signed off a ship, and had no mountain boots or parka coats with me, - and it was winter!

Never have I been freezing so much,- but I HAD to climb those magnificent mountains in the icy wind -, and it was very well worth it, but I cannot recommend anybody to climb mountains in Korea during winter time without proper mountain gear! :-)