| Taebaek-san 태백산 부석사 Buseok-sa the magnificent & profound Floating-Rock Temple a key sacred site along the Baekdu-daegan |
| overall view in October, from a Yeongju City tourist-brochure This is one of the most famous sites in Korea for having an ideal topograpical / geomantic configuration according to Pungsu-jiri theory. |
| Buseok-sa in mid-winter |
| The story from the Samguk-Yusa of Great Master Uisang-josa founding Buseok-sa, when Myohwa (as an invisible dragon) suspends the "floating rock" to threaten protesting villagers. |
| A grand monastery founded by Mater Uisang-josa in 645 CE to propagate Avatamsaka Buddhism, under authority granted by Queen Seondeok; one of the Hwaeom-Shipchal Temples |
This great and famous temple is located at the southeastern tip of Sobaek-san National Park, and so
is often thought to be part of the Sobaek-san mountain-cluster area; technically, it is at the southwest
foot of the local peak of that cluster, called Bonghwang-san [Phoenix Mountain] (822m, just 1500m
south of the Baekdu-daegan Ridgeline) which is 4km south of Seondal-san [Immortal-Moon Mountain]
(1236m, member of the Baekdu-daegan); and so from the 1950s through 1990s it was commonly called
either "Sobaek-san Buseok-sa", "Bonghwang-san Buseok-sa" or "Seondal-san Buseok-sa". However,
about the year 2000 they erected a new Ilchul-mun [One-Pillar Entrance-Gate], seen above, at their
main entranceway, and put on it a new pyeon-aek [扁額, formal signboard] that restored its traditional
name "Taebaek-san Buseok-sa" -- claiming the temple to be hosted by the Grand White Mountain itself.
Buseok-sa is about 23km from the summit of Taebaek-san in a straight line (ENE), and much farther by
any roads or the Baekdu-daegan Trail, but the national spiritual reputation of Taebaek-san is so high
that its name is invoked by temples this far away; see also the cases of Jeongam-sa on Hambaek-san
and small temples in the Deokgu Hot-Springs Valley near the east coast; claiming it as their host just
increases the sacred status of that temple (or other institution, village or business).
is often thought to be part of the Sobaek-san mountain-cluster area; technically, it is at the southwest
foot of the local peak of that cluster, called Bonghwang-san [Phoenix Mountain] (822m, just 1500m
south of the Baekdu-daegan Ridgeline) which is 4km south of Seondal-san [Immortal-Moon Mountain]
(1236m, member of the Baekdu-daegan); and so from the 1950s through 1990s it was commonly called
either "Sobaek-san Buseok-sa", "Bonghwang-san Buseok-sa" or "Seondal-san Buseok-sa". However,
about the year 2000 they erected a new Ilchul-mun [One-Pillar Entrance-Gate], seen above, at their
main entranceway, and put on it a new pyeon-aek [扁額, formal signboard] that restored its traditional
name "Taebaek-san Buseok-sa" -- claiming the temple to be hosted by the Grand White Mountain itself.
Buseok-sa is about 23km from the summit of Taebaek-san in a straight line (ENE), and much farther by
any roads or the Baekdu-daegan Trail, but the national spiritual reputation of Taebaek-san is so high
that its name is invoked by temples this far away; see also the cases of Jeongam-sa on Hambaek-san
and small temples in the Deokgu Hot-Springs Valley near the east coast; claiming it as their host just
increases the sacred status of that temple (or other institution, village or business).
| the Anyang-ru Pavilion, famous in poetry for the view it offers, and the Stone Lantern |
| the Muryangsu-jeon Main Hall, oldest surviving wooden building in Korea, Stone Lantern and Upper Pagoda |
| interior of the Muryangsu-jeon, featuring the treasured gilt-clay Buddha statue |
| in October glory |
| The actual "buseok" [floating rock] today, resting to the left of the Muryangsu-jeon |