Gyeonggi Yangpyung Yongmunsan Climb in Korea- Sangwonsa Course - Hike

1.     Date and Time : June 6, 2018 10:00~16:30 (6 hours and 30 minutes including break one hours).

2.     Location : Yangpyung at Gyeonggi Province in Korea.

3. Distance and Course : About 8.30km. Course is to start at Yongmunsan Information => Yongmunsa Temple => Sangwonsa Junction => Madangbawui Junction => Yongmunsan Summit (1157m altitude) => Madangbawui Junction => Yongmunsa Junction => Yongmunsa Temple => back to Yongmunsan Information.

4.     Access :

There is several ways to connect “Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (” by means of subway lines No. 2 at Gangbyun Station) where you should get on Intercity bus line bound for Yongmunsan Intercity Bus Terminal, non-stop and taking one hour. When you get off at the Yangpyung Terminal, you should walk about one minute for 11m distance to Yongmunsan Terminal Bus Stop and change to get on local bus No. 7 which takes 29 minutes for 15 times bus stops passing and get off at Yongmunsa Bus Stop. You should walk about 3 minutes for 194 m to Yongmunsan Tour Complex as soon as arrive at the Yongmunsa Bus Stop. Please refer more details to the “Transportation from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Yongmunsan Tour Complex”. You could simply take reverse course on your way back home. But take Bus No. 7 at other side of the Yongmun Yongmunsan Road”. I could estimate total transportation is about one hour and forty minutes which comes total 4 hours for round trip.

4.     Overall Remarks.

4-1) Yongmunsan Mountain his been called as Geumgangsan in Gyeonggi Province (Well known to Korean as the most beautiful mountain in Korea) which consisting with amazing strange and beautiful rocks and high and steep peaks. There is also well known old temple “Yongmunsa” at the mountain which was built in Shilla Dynasty and very old Gingko Tree lasting more than 1,100 years which is is 62m taller and 14m external diameter and nominated as Natural Monument No. 30. Name of this mountain was originally as Migisan and changed to Yongmunsan by founder of Lee, Seongge at Joseon Dynasty.

4-2) Yongmunsa Temple was originally built by Monk “Taegyung” in 913 under support by King “Kyunsunwang” who was last king in Shilla Dynasty. This Temple has been several times renovated and/or maintained and repaired afterward. Please see more details at the photo of Yongmunsa Temple attached.

4-3) It was Buddha Birthday at May 22, 2018 which people normally celebrated with lotus candle around the temple and maintaining the candles for 2 to 3 moths along with a few good Reputation Monk Words. As I walked up to Yongmunsa Temple, I found these beautiful lotus candle and Reputation Monk Words on the way as see at the photo. One Reputation Monk Words was exceptionally and inspired deeply to my mind and kept in photo as it is. Please find translation as “Life is a creation like cloud in the sky. Death is disappeared from the Life like cloud disappearance. The cloud at the sky is no real substance and actual existing. Therefore Life and Death is the same as cloud at the sky”.

5.     Detailed Course Information

As I walked Yongmunsan Tours Complex area, I saw very nice natural good harmony between manmade scenery and natural view on the way up to Yongmunsa temple. I headed to Yongmunsa Temple for five minutes and met colorful and elegant Yongmunsa Main Entrance Gate and kept walking up the smooth hill. As introduced at the Article 4-3), I found very impressive Monk Words on the way and translated at above Article and also so beautiful sound at ditch at temple road to Yongmunsa Temple and recorded the such scenery and sound at video at attached herein. I walked up for about half an hour and passed “Sacheun Wangmun” which Four Devas are taking care or control of temple entrance. Anybody passing the Wangmun could get protection from any devil or evil. As soon as I moved to Yongmunsa area, I first of all tried to take so nice photo of Yongmunsa Gingko Tree living more than 1100 years old as introduced at Article 4-1) and succeeded to leave a good picture. I looked around main building of Yongmunsa Temple soon after I finished Gingko Tree Photo and tried to shot one nicer photo and got it at the attached photo herein. I have spent about 20 minutes for looking around the Yongmunsa Temple and moved to climbing point to Yongmunsan Summit showing 3.4km distance at the junction. When I walked up the hill though stone road for about 10 minutes, I reached junction to Sangwonsa Temple 1.78km and Summit 3.12km and headed to Sangwonsa Direction. I kept walking on somewhat steep stone road and sometime on normal mild sloped road through oak tree forest for about 40 minutes and reached junction at ridge where 2.03km to the Summit. I started to slowly climb up the smooth sloped ridge road for half an hour and found junction saying as 1.75km to the Summit. There is no smoother ridge road at ridge and instead rocky road which I might take detour road under support of safety rope. I found 1.4km to Summit after 20 minutes walking on these roads. I continued to climb these kinds of road for about 40 minutes and touched three way junction, the one 900m to Summit and the other downhill to Madangbawui. I started to climb after taking short break at the junction and found this last road to the summit should be higher level of climbing hardness than before, steeper stairs and rockier and more obstacles on the way. As I struggled to climb these hard routes for about more than an hour, I found landmark saying as 110m and kept climbing the same road for 10 minutes and finally touched down the Summit-1157m Altitude as see at the photo. I looked around the Summit and tried to see neighboring mountains for nice photo but could unfortunately not see due to thicker foggy. I then tried to come down on principally the same road up to junction for more than an hour, the one to Yongmunsa and the other Sangwonsa and took a Sangwonsa direction at the junction. When I came down on the these road for 40 minutes, I found junction, the one to Yongmunsa 1.3km and the other 1.6km to Sangwonsa. I took a Yongmunsa direction and kept downhill on so sharp sloped road for about one hour and reached Landmark saying as 280m to Yongmunsa and 1.67km to Sangwonsa and kept walking down on easy road for 20 minutes more and finally returned Yongmunsan Information after 6 hours and 30 minutes climb.