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Today on the Korean Atlas and History. Korean Mountains. Mount Jiri.

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Mount Jiri is a mountain located in the southern region of South Korea.

Mount Jiri, or Jirisan, is commonly considered to be one of the three main

mountains of South Korea, including Halasan and Seoraksan. Mt. Jiri stands at 1,915

meters or 6,283 feet tall. It is the second highest mountain in South Korea, after

Halasan, and the tallest mountain in mainland South Korea.

Jiri Mountain is located in Jirisan National Park. The park spans three

provinces, and is the largest National Park in South Korea. The largest peak of Jiri

Mountain is 천왕봉. Another well known peak is Three Spirits Peak, or 삼신봉. Jiri

mountain is at the southern end of the 소백 and 백두대간 mountain ranges. The

mountain holds seven major Buddhist temples. The largest of these, 화엄사, contains

several national treasures.

화엄사 temple was established in 544 by 연기 조사. In 643, it was expanded

by 자장 율사. During this expansion, the 삭야문이 relic pagoda, Seven-Story

Pagaoda, and stone lantern were added. During the reign of King 문무, 의상 대사

was ordered to inscribe the Eighty Fascicle Ava tam saka Sutra on stone tablets. The
stone tablets were preserved 와엄사. In 875, 도선 국사 expanded the temple again.

In 934, the state began to establish its first of 500 선 temples. 선 is the most

common form of Buddhism in Korea. This was also the time period when the first

renovation of 화엄사 began. Four more renovations happened until 1593 when,

during a Japanese invasion, the temple was burned to the ground. The temple still

preserved the pieces of 의상 대사’s stone tablets, but most of the temple was

destroyed. In 1701, the temple was reconstructed, under the reign of King 숙종. The

reconstructed temple stands today, as a place where tourists can visit, and temple

stay programs are available. The temple houses National Treasure number 67, or

각황전 hall. This massive hall was exceeded only in size by the palace where the king

took care of his official business. 화엄사 also houses National Treasure number 12, a

giant Stone Lantern. The lantern is thought to have been constructed during the

United Silla era. It is 21 feet high and 9 feet in diameter. National treasure number

35 resides here as well, a four-lion three-story pagoda. National treasure 301, a

scroll painting of the Vulture Peak Assembly can be found here, along with Treasure

number 132 and 133, the Eastern and Western Five-Story stone pagodas. Treasure

299 and 300, 대웅전 Hall and the Lion pagoda in front of 원통전 hall stand here as

well. Inside 대웅전 Hall you will find treasure number 363, the scroll Painting of the

Vairocana (Viy-ro-chin-ah) Buddha. In addition, you can find treasure 1548, Seated

Wooden Vairocana Buddha Triad, and Treasure 1348, Reliquaries from the Western
five story stone pagoda. 화엄사 is a beautiful site that shouldn’t be missed if you are

visiting 지리 mountain.

지리 mountain is alson home to the 청학동 or Azure Crane Village. This area

contains 삼성궁, or the Palace of the Three Sages. This palace was created to pay

homage to the three mythical founders of Korea. They include 환인, the emperor of

Heaven, 환웅, his son who descended the sacred mountain to bring government and

benefit humanity, and 단군왕검, 환인’s grandson, who founded 고조선. The site of

삼성궁 was established in 1983 by 함필, a Taoist priest. The site was constructed in

the spirit of benefiting all mankind and harmonizing the world. These ideas are

based on 선 Buddhism. Upon entering the site, one will find a meandering path that

leads up a hillside around numerous shrines. At the end of the path is a closed main

gate used to enter into the main shrine grounds. A gong is secured to a wooden

post nearby. If you strike the gong three times, a monk will open the door and

guide you through the site. Inside, you will find many 장승, which are like totem

poles, created to ward off evil spirits. Along with these, the site contains many

방사답 and 돌답, mounds erected to ward off evil spirits. The site houses

approximately 1,500 stone pyramids. A Jade Pond in the shape of a comma is at the

site as well, representing half of a Yin and Yang. The main shrine hall has three

states, each representing the three mythical founders of Korea. This is another site

that is not to be missed if you visit 지리 mountain.

 Historically, 지리 mountain was important during the Korean War. North

Koreans occupied the region in 1950, but after the United Nations forces took the

area in 1951, a considerable number of North Koreans remained in the mountains.

They continued a guerrilla war, until they were finally beaten in 1955, two years after

the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed. The Republic of Korea issued an "Anti-

Guerrilla Warfare Service Medal" for its troops who fought in the area and a movie

about the fighting was later produced, called North Korean Partisan in South

Korea. An earlier film, Piagol, about a group of North Korean soldiers in the area,

was released the year the fighting ended.

Every year nearly 280,000 people visit 지리 mountain. The mountain is known

for a legend about an 이무기. An 이부기 starts its life as a lesser dragon, or a

serpent. At some point, the creature has the opportunity to transform into a dragon,

provided it passes a test. If it is successful, it becomes a dragon. If it fails, it becomes

an 이무기. In this legend, around 1,300 years ago, there was a temple called 송님사

on 지리 mountain. Every year on the full moon in July, known as 칠월백중, the

temple would select the most pious monk and sent him to 신선대 Terrace, where

the monk would disappear. The monks believed that this pious monk had been

chosen to ascend to heaven. One year, the highest monk of the order, 서산대사,

visited the temple, but he was skeptical of this tradition. 서산대사 met with the

monk that was to be chosen that year, and allowed him to anoint his robes with
poison. He also linked the monk’s rope to the terrace with a silk thread. Then,

서산대사 hid behind a rock to see what would happen. Around 1 AM an 이무기

slithered up from below the terrace. The 이무기 attacked the monk and bit him on

the mouth, killing him. 서산대가, fearing for his life, returned to the temple and

waited until dawn. At dawn, the entire village went to 신선대 terrace. They found the

monk’s body and the 이무기, which had died after it failed to swallow the body of

the monk. Thereafter, the valley was named 뱀사골, which means the valley where

an 이무기 died. The village at the entrance of 뱀사골 was renamed 반선, which

means half deity, after the monk who was sacrificed there.

The main peak of 지리 mountain is 삼신봉, which is a popular, but strenuous

hike from the 쌍계 temple entry point. The trail is 18.4 kilometers, and features a

waterfall and beautiful scenery. From the temple, the peak can be reached in about

four hours for hikers that move at a steady pace. It is an extremely steep hike and

recommended only for experience hikers.

지리 mountain is the largest area of plant life growth in South Korea outside

of Mount Halla on Jeju Island. The site hosts about 1,500 plants.

지리 mountain is a truly fantastic site that you must see if you ever visit the

southern area of South Korea.

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