TAEBAEKSAN NATIONAL PARK

We enter the park from the right, where we discover an altar dedicated to the mythical Dangun, very simple and containing his portrait (Dan-gunseongjeon). This mountain is sacred to the shamans of the country, to the followers of the national religion Daejonggyo, but also to all Koreans as a whole. At the entrance to the path are two stone totem poles (Seokchangseung), rare equivalents of the wooden totem poles once erected at the entrance to villages. The surrounding slopes are dotted with huge rocks that seem to have collapsed after a huge earthquake, and the whole mountain seems to be made of rocks one on top of the other. At a fork, you cross the torrent to the right, then start climbing a little more seriously. Halfway to the summit (banje), after 2.3 km, the road branches off: on the right you go to the temple 백단사 Baekdansa, on the left to 천제단 Cheonjedan. Turn left, and the road climbs steeply for the last two kilometers. It's not climbing strictly speaking, but the road is slippery and very steep (so we'll be careful). We finally arrive at the temple 막경사 Manggyeongsa. This small and gloomy temple welcomes pilgrims and you can ask for hospitality (don't forget to make a small offering).

There is a spring, Yongcheon, "the source of the dragon". This spring always has the same flow and its water is ranked first among the best springs in the country. According to the legend, whoever is not pure and drinks this water makes the spring muddy. The water is used for ceremonies that take place higher up in Cheonjedan. To get there, take the path to the left. First you pass an old stele dedicated to King Danjong (Danjongbigak). Then we slowly reach the top, Changgunbong (1 567 m). Contrary to other mountains of this range, this one is rounded, its summit is almost flat and has sparse and rather low vegetation, lawn, royal azaleas and bushes. The view is magnificent, very open on each side. One feels on the roof of the world. The altar (Cheonjedan or Cheonwangdan) is in the centre of the plateau, on a platform of flat stones stacked on top of each other. It is known that ceremonies dedicated to Dangun and the Lord of Heaven were already practiced there by the kingdom of Silla. Even now, every October 3, the day of the Foundation, official ceremonies are held there. You are on one of the three sacred mountains of Korea, where the celestial prince Hwanung is said to have come down to earth before uniting with a bear and siring Dan-gun.