Sleepy hills of Seonunsa
Paul Kerry
The Korea Herald
Publication Date : 29-07-2008


Tucked away on the west coast of Jeolla, Seonunsa, or Seonun Temple, is perhaps best known for its camellia flower festival in late April.

But there's a lot more to this corner of Korea, and it's worth a visit all year round. Snow, cherry blossoms and fall foliage are the obvious things to point to, but there are flowers throughout the warm months, and the gentle lay of the land makes for good walking if the summer heat makes hiking a chore. And then, of course, there's the temple itself.
Seonunsa was first built in 577. It's a good size, too, with large, open grounds and the usual temple buildings.
Korean speakers may also consider Seonunsa for a temple-stay--a retreat in which you stay at a temple and learn about Buddhist culture.
Among the practices you can learn is the tea ceremony, which takes place in the main lecture hall, Man Se Ru. The building was made of stripped logs, rather than planed timber, giving the hall a rickety charm. Tea is grown locally, too, and small tea fields are dotted around the hills surrounding the temple.
It's not just tea that grows here; the temple is famous for blackberries, which go to make bokbunja wine for adults, and interesting stains on kids' faces and clothes.
"Love flowers" are also common here. They bloom red in mid September, after the leaves have gone. The flowers get their name from the fact that the foliage and flower never appear at the same time, in imitation of a couple which cannot meet and can only long for each other.
Other plants here include a 600-year-old bansong tree and huge songgak ivy. The enormous climber sprawls up a rock face to form the shape of a regular tree.
There's more to see in the hills. At a mere 400m or so, they are easily managed, and offer fantastic views nonetheless. There's enough wildlife here--most of it flying, some of it friendly--to keep nature fans happy.
There's no shortage of picnic spots dotted along the paths. One of particular note to fans of Korean drama is by Yongmun cave. The site was featured in "Daejanggeum (Jewel in the Palace)" as the place where Jang-geum's mother was buried.
Yongmun cave is also connected to a building further along. The story goes that a snake in the cave was terrorizing the locals. Local villagers bought a statue of the Buddhist saint Arahan from India and placed it nearby. The snake disappeared and the locals built Arahanjeon to house the statue and make sure the snake stayed away.
There are also a few more traditional Buddhist sites along the paths. The Goryeo-era cliff-face Ma-ae Buddha carving is worth a look. It's one of the largest in Korea, and is in good condition, but it bears two marks of history.
One is a hole above its head, where a small building used to perch. Another is a hole in the stomach.
The hole was supposedly the hiding place of a book written by the monk Geomdan. Legend has it that, in late-Joseon times, Governor Lee Seo-gu tried to get the book, but when he opened the alcove door, a sudden storm slammed it shut. According to the story, the first words in the book were: "Governor of Jeolla Province Lee Seo-gu opens."
Sadly, the book was lost when the peasant army removed it at the end of the 19th century.
There are a few Buddhist buildings and artefacts in the same place, including the Seated Jijang Bodhisattva, considered one of the finest pieces of Goryeo art.
A broad stream runs through the valley where you can cool off after your stroll and dangle your feet in the water.
The sights are best accessed on foot, but there's a bike path here, although bikes are not available to rent.
Seonunsa is best accessed by bus from Gochang, a nearby town which is worth a visit in itself.
Gochang is the birthplace of Shin Jae-hyo (his pen name was Dongni), a noted composer of pansori, a form of narrative song. You can find out more about this traditional performance art at the Gochang Pansori Museum, but the main attraction here is Gochang Fortress next door.
Built in 1453, the walled structure is nothing spectacular, but the area inside makes for a very pleasant park, and a walk around the walls takes a manageable hour. Sinners will be relieved to learn that carrying a stone while doing this may guarantee a path to paradise. Legend has it that walking around the walls with a fist-sized rock balanced on your head heals your legs on the first lap, guarantees longevity on the second and a path to heaven on the third. Legend says nothing about the loss of dignity for those actually trying it.
Inside the walls, there is a pleasant place to relax next to a good slice of Korean history. There are Joseon government buildings here and there, a bamboo forest and a shrine to Seonghwangsin, a traditional god of the earth.
The woods here are attractive, spotted pink by blossoms in April, before the shock of colour from azaleas and a lush green summer. Birds flit about, and in the middle of a central meadow, you can see a prime example of a Korean megalith, or ancient stone tomb known as a dolmen.
The dolmens in Gochang County, along with those in two other areas, make up one of Korea's World Heritage sites. If prehistoric monuments float your boat, you can see more up the road, between Gochang and Seonunsa.
On the way back to the bus terminal, be sure to poke your head through the front gate of Shin Jae-hyo's residence. It's small, but entry is free and the little garden, with a stream trickling round it, is a pleasant way to put off heading back to the city.
Buses leave for Gochang from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Gangnam 18 times a day and take around three and a half hours. Departure points closer to Gochang include Jeonju to the north and Gwangju to the south.