SANBANGGULSA TEMPLE

Mount Sanbangsan, which rises incongruously in the southwest of the island, in the middle of a plain, is said to be the summit of Mount Hallasan transported to this place. It is in fact a secondary crater. Its steep walls covered with vegetation evoke the violence of early geological times, and there is something grandiose that emerges from this 395 m high mountain, especially if you see it surrounded by mist or at sunset. On its south wall, facing the sea, is the Sanbanggulsa temple in a natural cave. A pine tree grows elegantly in front of its entrance and composes with the sea in the background a landscape worthy of the most beautiful Asian print. Alas, a net has been installed in the middle to protect from rock falls (we try to ignore it). The site is still worth the visit. This temple was installed under Goryeo. It is very simple, consisting of a few buildings below and an altar in the cave located halfway up the cliff, at the top of a staircase. There is also a tank where one can drink the water that falls from the ceiling of the cave. These would be the tears of Sanbangdeok, the Buddhist deity who took on all the sufferings of the world.

On the beach at the bottom of the mountain, Yongmori, a huge rock carved by the sea takes the shape of a dragon. Not far away is the monument erected in memory of Henrik Hamel, the Dutch sailor who was stranded on this coast in 1653. Further to the west and Moseulpo (Daejeong), there is a beautiful white sandy beach, Hamo.