| Beobhwa-san 법화산 the Dharma-Blossom Mountain in the Inner-Northeast / Hamyang County Sector of Jiri-san page two |
| On the far-northern side of Beobhwa-san was found Doseo-am [Tao-West Hermitage], a bizarre little place in ordinary farmlands, in front of a small peak. Probably a Shamanic-Buddhist temple... |
This absolutely-unique statue, set up high on a crude
tower, depicts San-shin sitting with a friendly dragon
instead of a tiger!!! Conflation of San-shin with
Yong-wang -- never been seen before, anywhere!
tower, depicts San-shin sitting with a friendly dragon
instead of a tiger!!! Conflation of San-shin with
Yong-wang -- never been seen before, anywhere!
Bukseong-shin in the modern Chilseong-do.
| This ordinary -- but singular -- Shamanic icon pairing Yong-wang with San-shin was found casually set up against the back of the Worship-Hall. |
| The 1980s public elementary school on the northern slope of Beobhwa-san displays not only the usual statue of King Sejong, but these arrays of Neo-Traditionalist Jangseung spirit-guardian poles! |
This is the courtyard and Main Hall of Northern Beobhwa-sa [Dharma-Blossom Temple], in Daecheon-ri
Village not far from the highway out of Hamyang Town, on the mountain's north side but facing
east. Buddhist temples are not supposed to have the same name within one Province of Korea, but
this is a rare case of that situation. This one was recorded as founded in 883, near the end of the
Unified Shilla Dynasty, and is therefore "the original Beobhwa-sa". The four-lion pagoda here
reflects a common theme of western Jiri-san, due to the famous Shilla stoneworks of Hwaeom-sa.
Village not far from the highway out of Hamyang Town, on the mountain's north side but facing
east. Buddhist temples are not supposed to have the same name within one Province of Korea, but
this is a rare case of that situation. This one was recorded as founded in 883, near the end of the
Unified Shilla Dynasty, and is therefore "the original Beobhwa-sa". The four-lion pagoda here
reflects a common theme of western Jiri-san, due to the famous Shilla stoneworks of Hwaeom-sa.
| Turtles & four-lion stone lanterns (again reflecting Hwaeom-sa) are in front of the Main Hall, and the faux-cave Sanshin-gak is just beside it. It is announced by a prominent sign-stone, in "seal-script" Chinese characters. That's our friend Yana in white clothing; she was an excellent translator for this trip. |
| Interior of the faux-cave Sanshin-gak, with a magnificent modern painting, a Shamanic-flavored white-themed statue, dongja statues, three ceramic "fairy- princess" statues -- probably Chinese in origin -- and Sanshin-model donation- prayer cabinets with 70 compartments. Details of all these are below: |
| It turns out that this small temple is run in a unique fashion -- its abbot is a Buddhist monk, and practices accordingly, but he is married to a Mudang Shamaness, and she practices her own psychological-healing arts in a separate shrine in their residence, shown above -- statues of Yong-wang and San-shin sit in front of a modern gold-on-red sutra-illustration-themed All-Shamanic-Spirits painting. |
| And speaking of Shamanism, there is this explicitly-Korean-Shamanic "Janggun-dang" [Guardian-General ritual-Shrine] on the highway below the turnoff leading up to Southern Beobhwa-sa. Its full array of icons, including statues of Yong-wang & San-shin and a Sanshin-dosa painting (left wall) are shown below: |
| Further in the Inner-Northeast / S. Hamyang County Sector of Jiri-san: Byeok-song-sa and the West Hermitage Eomcheon-gang River Area: N. Munsu-sa, Jeokjo-am and etc. Gyeonbul-sa, major new "Viewing Buddha Temple" Eastern Macheon-myeon District: Hanshin-gyegok Scenic Gorge Baekmu-dong-gyegok Scenic Gorge Chottae-bong & Yeong- shin Peaks, Seseok-pyeongjeon Field & Seseok-cheon Spring (under construction) . |
