디시인사이드

From the second day onwards, I didn't have any major plans. To be precise, it is safe to say that the plan was useless because it moved significantly differently from what was envisioned.

The first stop is Daewangam Hermitage in Bonggil-ri. Originally, I had planned to go there as my first stop to see the sunrise, but the weather forecast was full of clouds, so I didn't have high expectations.

If you take the first train number 150, you can arrive at Daewangam around 7:40. In winter, it is possible to see the sunrise. However, as the weather started to drizzle, I wore thin clothes and quickly moved to Gamunsa Temple.

The mouth of Daejongcheon Stream where the main bell of Hwangnyongsa Temple will be immersed.

Gameunsaji Three-story Stone Pagoda (and the crow sitting on it)

A monumental work that opened the door to Silla stone pagodas. I was overwhelmed in every way, from its size, proportions, and even location selection. This is my 6th time coming to Gyeongju, but it is a place I never miss.

This place is solemn but not heavy, cheerful but not light.

Geumdangji. It is known that King Munmu, who became a dragon, came under Geumdang and lifted it up from the ground to go back and forth.

Another factor that makes visiting Gameunsa Temple Site enjoyable is the Gampo Road. Although it is not a wide plain, this road gives the illusion of infinite extension and is a privilege that only those who visit by bus can experience.

I returned to my accommodation, packed my bags and got off at Tongiljeon.

Seochulji. When I arrived here, I had planned to go through Dongnamsan Mountain and Buknamsan Mountain, through the Baeban-dong fields, to Nangsan Mountain, Bomundeul, and Sogeumgang River, but I suddenly changed my mind and took the opposite direction, Chilbulam Hermitage.

There is a well-known legend about Seochulji. It is contained in the Samguk Yusa, Gii Sageumgap section, and is the story of when Bicheomaripgan came to Cheoncheonjeong in 488 AD.

When the king came, a crow and a mouse came and cried, and the mouse spoke to a person and told him to chase the crow. The king, who found it strange, had his servant chase the crow, but when he saw two pigs fighting near a pond in Pichon, he was so distracted that he missed the crow. An old man who suddenly appeared from inside the pond handed the subject an envelope, which he gave to the king.

On the outside of the letter, it was written, "If you open this letter, two people will die. If you do not open it, one person will die." Naturally, the king, who wanted to choose one person to die, consistently said, "The two people mean common people, but one person will die." When he said, “The person refers to the king,” I opened the letter. The letter said, "Shoot at the geomungojip," and the king shot it with an arrow without delay. When I opened the geomungo house, I found that inside it was a royal incense burner and a palace lord (queen) who were holding court, but it turned out that they were hiding to harm the king. The king executed them both.

From then on, this pond, where the old man left and gave the letter, came to be called Seochulji.

Afterwards, Im Jeok (任勣) built a pavilion called Iyodang (二樂堂) in Seochulji in 1664. Old trees surround the pond, and in summer, you can see lotus and crape myrtle flowers in full bloom.

Meanwhile, there is a claim that the original stage of the Sageumgap tale is not Seochulji, but the parchment next to it. In the story we looked at earlier, Pichon is written as the current Yangpi Temple Village, located on Dongrok, Namsan Mountain. This is because the site of the East and West Three-story Stone Pagodas in Namsan-ri, which is immediately adjacent, is presumed to be the Yangpi Temple Site.

Namsan-dong East and West Three-story Stone Pagoda, presumed to be the site of the Yangpi Temple. According to one theory, it is also called Namsansa Temple.

You may think it is a typical twin pagoda, but if you look closely, you can feel the difference comparable to the Seokga Pagoda and Dabotap Pagoda.

The West Pagoda is a typical Unified Silla stone pagoda, a three-story pagoda built on a double stylobate. The upper stylobate is a common style with engravings on the arms.

On the other hand, the East Pagoda is a stone pagoda imitating a brick pagoda. Not only the floor support but also the downfall surface was dug out in steps. The base is a single-story structure made by carving eight blocks of rectangular granite.

There are several stone pagodas scattered throughout the Gyeongju area, including the three-story stone pagoda of Seoak-dong and the three-story stone pagoda of Jigok 3 Temple Site. There are styles of mother-jeon stone pagodas, like the Bunhwangsa Pagoda, in which the stones are cut into bricks and erected like a pagoda, while there are also styles, like regular stone pagodas, in which a single large stone is carved into the shape to create a roof stone. Following the latter. A stylobate carved in the form of a rectangular block is also common.

If you move a little further, you will see the East and West Three-story Stone Pagodas of Yeombulsa Temple Site. The two pagodas follow the proportions of the three-story stone pagoda of Bulguksa Temple, but the number of stone pagodas at the upper stylobate is three, showing the pre-Seokga pagoda style, making it presumed to be a stone pagoda from the 8th century.

Yeombulsa Temple was originally called Piri Temple, and a strange person lived in Piri Temple. Aside from this, the sound of Amitabha Buddha could be heard throughout the castle, and it was so loud and consistent that everyone renamed it Yeombulsa Temple to honor him.

It can be seen that the roof stone of the first floor of the East Pagoda of Yeombulsa Temple Site was replaced with new material. There is a story here that is worth looking back on in our modern history when awareness of cultural assets was lacking.

At the roundabout in front of Bulguksa Station, a three-story stone pagoda stood for a long time. This pagoda, called the Gujeong-dong Three-story Stone Pagoda, was built at the Bulguksa Station Square in commemoration of President Park Chung-hee's visit in 1963 by collecting the fallen bronze pagoda members of Yeombulsa Temple Site.

However, the problem was that the roof stone on the first floor was damaged and could not be used. Since the purpose of building the tower in front of Bulguksa Station in the first place was largely for show, a tower that was not in perfect shape was meaningless. At this time, something caught the eyes of the authorities...

(Gujeong-dong three-story stone pagoda standing in front of Bulguksa Station. Yonhap News photo)

It was the absence of the Igeosaji Three-story Stone Pagoda located at Igeosaji Temple Site in Doji-dong. Igeosa Temple (移車寺) is a temple located in Dongchon (東村), north of King Seongdeok's tomb. It is said to have been founded by Choi Yu-deok (崔有德) of the Great Patriotic War, and for this reason it is also called Yudeoksa Temple.

In the end, the Jjamppong tower was completed as shown above. However, it faced criticism from public opinion for a long time, and as the excavation of Yeombulsa Temple site progressed in 1998, it was moved to its original location in 2008, and the roof stone on the first floor was replaced with new material.

However, the roof stone of the Igeosaji Three-story Stone Pagoda could not be returned to its original position. I still haven't been able to sever my connection with the Yeonbulsa Temple pagoda and remain lonely in a corner of the Yeonbulsa Temple site. Although some maintenance has been carried out at this site, it is likely to take some time to be restored due to severe friction with residents due to issues such as land expropriation. Only then will I be able to return to my hometown.

Separately from this, the original location of Treasure No. 1977 Gyeongju Rectangular Pedestal Seated Stone Buddha, commonly known as the Blue House Handsome Seated Stone Buddha, is also located here. He went up to Seoul to pay tribute to the Governor-General of Joseon and is still living abroad. I think it is a temple site with a truly unfortunate fate.

For reference, because it is located in "Doji"-dong, the Kakao Map review is like this.

Anyway, we set off again and headed to Chilbulam. The road to Chilbulam has little slope and no rocks, making it easy to climb. I arrived wearing a hoodie and cotton pants without any plans to hike in the first place, and arrived in less than an hour, so I think I could have arrived in about 40 minutes if I planned.

Arrival at Chilbulam. You can see the group of rock-carved Buddha statues in front and Shinseondae in the distance above.

The first panoramic view I saw in an hour. It's a small space, but it has everything.

The group of rock-carved Buddha statues at Chilbulam consists of a triad of Buddhas carved on the rock wall and a total of seven Buddha statues carved on the rock in front of them.

There are seven rock-carved Buddha statues across the country that have been designated as national treasures. This was the 6th time we met. Among the six places, the most surprising encounter was the rock-carved Buddha statue at North Americareukam in Daeheungsa Temple in Haenam, but the group of rock-carved Buddha statues at Chilbulam still retains the aesthetics of Unified Silla in its heyday.

In particular, the left and right sided Bodhisattvas were impressive with their gentle smiles and elegant sculptures reminiscent of the eleven-faced Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue at Seokguram Grotto. Of course, the level of sculpture is not comparable to Seokguram Grotto, but it is an excellent work that allows you to feel the aesthetics of Unified Silla.

In addition, there are many other places in Chilbulam. There are some that were there originally, and some that were moved from nearby places, but they are quite large and don't seem to be just one.

If you climb the steep mountain path behind Chilbulam, you will soon arrive at Sinseonam. The scenery of Sinseonam can be said to represent Namsan along with Yongjangsa Temple Site and Lotus Pedestal.

Chilbulam seen from Sinseonam.

He quietly closes his eyes as if he is deep in thought.

The plains east of Gyeongju as seen from Sinseonam.

Under the Sinseonammaebodhisattva department.

The three-story stone pagoda of Guksagok 4 Temple Site seen in the distance. In fact, I was thinking about turning back because my clothes weren't for hiking and I didn't bring a bottle of water, but since I don't tend to go back the way I took, I decided to keep going.

Now I moved to Baekunjae and went down towards Yongjanggol for a while. There is Sanjeong Lake below Gowibong Peak, the deepest part of Namsan.

If you follow the signpost from Sanjeong Lake, you will find the three-story stone pagoda of Jigok 3 Temple Site. Like the Namsan-ri East Three-story Stone Pagoda, it is a member of the parent stone pagoda series and is quite similar in shape.

I went back to Baekunjae. On the map, it looks like you have to pass through Gowibong Peak and then go down to Gapsugol, but if you go from Baekunjae to Baegunam, you don't have to climb up to Gowibong Peak.

There is a forest road up to Baekunjae, so vehicles can enter. (General vehicles are not permitted to enter)

The area around Cheonryongsa Temple is a basin type located on a high plateau. Akbungwi (樂鵬龜), the protagonist of the anecdote of Sacheonwangsa Temple and Mangdeoksa Temple, which will be introduced in Part 3, visited this place and left saying that if this temple is destroyed, the country will be destroyed within a few days. . Anyway, it is a temple with an excellent location.

For reference, there is a restaurant called Nokwonjeongsa next to Cheonryongsa Temple Site. It's a unique restaurant because it's located halfway up the mountain, so if you get the chance, I recommend eating here.

If you come down to Gamsugol, you will see Waryongam Hermitage. It is the starting point of the Cheonryongsa Temple site course and the valley is quite worth seeing. It would be nice to install and maintain a deck road.

Signpost at the entrance to Cheonryongsa Temple Site. With the cane that worked hard for half a day...

Some guy's bus came in 40 minutes and we arrived back in the city at around 4 o'clock. After eating at a well-known Gyeongju Jjolmyeon restaurant, I took a walk around the accommodation and took a quick look around. Since I was so busy yesterday and today, it was my first meal in Gyeongju.

Tokyo Hall. Only the left wing was left as a guest house in Gyeongju. You have to enter through a place called Gyeongju Education Samrakhoe, but the gate was closed, so I could only see it from outside the wall.

Next to the Tokyo Building is the Hwarang Training Center building, which was formerly used as Yamaguchi Hospital.

If you walk a little further, you will find Jipgyeongjeonji. During the Joseon Dynasty, spaces were made to enshrine King Taejo's portrait throughout the country, including Munsojeon in Seoul, Gyeonggijeon in Jeonju, Junwonjeon in Yeongheung, Yeongsungjeon in Pyongyang, Mokcheongjeon in Gaeseong, and Jipgyeongjeon in Gyeongju. The portrait of King Taejo in Jipgyeongjeon was moved to Cheongnyangsan Mountain during the Japanese invasions of Korea, and after the war, Jipgyeongjeon was temporarily installed in Gangneung. However, it was not restored after being destroyed by fire in 1631.

However, Gyeongju has continuously requested that Jipgyeongjeon be reinstalled. Therefore, in 1796, King Jeongjo erected a monument in his own handwriting announcing that it was the old site of Jipgyeongjeon, known as the old site of Jipgyeongjeon.

However, the structure of Jipgyeongjeonji is so strange that it is difficult to determine what type of building it is. It is a stone chamber in the form of a long passage, but it is open on both sides, so it is not clear where or how the portrait is stored.

Lastly, I visited the recently restored Gyeongju Eupseong Fortress. There is a craze for town castle restoration across the country these days, but it seems quite meaningless. It would be better to maintain and preserve at least the surrounding area of the remaining castle.

Chiseong. Before restoration, only this part of the castle was surrounded by a green iron fence, making it look quite unsightly.

An old castle with a pale gate that looks like it was newly dug out and old trees growing here and there. It seems obvious which place resonates more.

Anyway, it was an impromptu day of moving, but it was a meaningful day in that we cleared Namsan's treasure-level cultural assets. I feel like I solved a big homework.