Korean Trails

The area of Northern Gyeongsangbuk-do which Cheongryang-san inhabits is the heartland of neo-confucian history in Korea. Dosan-seowon, one of the preeminent Neo-Confucian academies, is just down the road toward Andong, and Cheongryang-san is rich in relics, legend and history from this period. Stories of some of the great scholars of the time, such as Lee Hwang (1501-1570), and before him Choe Chiwon (857 - ?) are told on the mountain, which has taken on a distinctly more Confucian feel than most major mountains in the country.

Hwang dubbed Cheongryang-san the "six-six peaks" after the famous Wuyi Mountains in China to which they bear a resemblance.

Many of Cheongryang-san's peaks were renamed in the Joseon Dynasty from often colorful and inspirational Buddhist names to more Confucian styles - such as after writing implements, direct physical resemblance to objects, or famous Chinese peaks.

For Goryeo Dynasty King Gongmin (1330-1374), Cheongryang-san, with it's isolation and impenetrable fortress-like cliffs offered an ideal hideout during a time of great strife. The Goryeo Kingdom at the time was a compulsory ally of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, following a series of devastating invasions in the 13th century. By the mid-14th century Yuan was in decline, and Gongmin took the opportunity to begin reforming the Korean government. He tried to remove pro-Mongol aristocrats and landowners, who were vast in number, and launched an unsuccessful coup against him. Things were shaky and defenses were stretched with a growing number of attacks by Japanese "Wokou" Pirates, and when the Chinese Red Turban Army invaded Goryeo, Gongmin, his Mongol wife Queen Noguk, and a small army took refuge here in Cheongryang-san for a time. Their legacy remains with the impressive, recently rebuilt, fortress walls of the mountain's eastern ridge, shrine to the King, and hermitage building honoring Queen Noguk, who died in childbirth.

The main entrance to the mountain is across the river from the large, modern, Cheongryang-san museum. The museum is typical of many in Korea, displaying the cultural history of the Bonghwa area and the mountain itself, and is well worth a visit. Next to the museum is the park office, where you can pick up a map if you need one. There are some excellent restaurants, minbak accommodation and ample free parking in this area - choosing to park here may save some hassle trying to park across the river in the mountain-proper during the busy season, where parking is limited, it's often fairly chaotic up there on a weekend.

The city buses stop near the museum, and a narrow road crosses the river and winds east through the park, right across its high pass into remote Yeongyang-gun. All trails to the main peaks begin from this road, through the main park entrance gate. The majority of hiking is done on the northern (left) side of the road, from three trail heads which head to the main peaks above Cheongryeong-sa temple, shown in the park map below.

The Northern Ridge Circuit

Cheongryang-pokpo - Jangin-bong - Seonha-bong - Jaran-bong - Wonjeok-bong - Takpil-bong - Jaso-bong - Gyeongil-bong - Geumtap-bong - Ipseok Carpark. 8 peaks over 7 kilometres. The full circuit can be completed in 3 or 4 hours. There are a number of signed trail options from the ridge down to the temple if you want to make that shorter.

As mentioned earlier, the majority of visitors will attempt to park midway up the mountain road, and walk the paved road to the temple; the central, windy yellow trail in the middle of the map up there.

Hikers looking to do the northern circuit of the main peaks should start from the trail-head opposite the Cheongryang-pokpo (waterfall) or the Ipseok trail-head up near the pass opposite the fortress walls. Starting higher the latter is an easier approach to the peaks, but I recommend starting from opposite the waterfall because at the end of the hike you can walk out down the fairly steep road rather than slog up it at the beginning of the day.

The trail leaves from the large signboard map on the roadside, and follows a paved path up through garden farming to the small village enclave of Dudeul-maeul. Aside from the fields, Dudeul-maeul, which aside from it's fields is little more than a couple of old houses and sheds.

With the natural terraced platforms of this area, highland farming is still quite common in the area around the mountain, and as your view opens up to the south you'll see similar high farms on the mountains across the other side of the nakdong river, quite a rare thing in Korea, where mountain-tops are generally forested, but also generally too steep to consider farming.

From the end of the paved farm road the trail heads into forest, climbing steeply up a gravel path to the shallow pass between Jangin-bong and Seonhak-bong. Jangin-bong is a slight detour from the main circuit path, and is a 500 metre walk west from the pass.

At 870m Jangin-bong is the largest of Cheongryang's domes. It's original name was Dae-bong, but along with many in this park was changed by the 16th century Punggi magistrate Ju Sebung. Jangin-bong is named for Zhang-yue peak of China's famous Tai-shan mountain. The peak itself doesn't offer spectacular views as it's walled by forest on most sides, but on the south-western edge you can get good views off the cliff face over the Nakdong river, and east up the valley over the mountain fortress ridge.

The two domes of Seonhak-bong and Jaran-bong are divided by a very deep gap, which until recently made the hike between the two quite a substantial drop and climb, unfair really when it's merely a tree-hop for a nesting crane.

The Haneul-dari (sky bridge), above, was built in 2008, and has cut the walk between these peaks down to 30 seconds. The 90m long suspension bridge has also contributed to a great change in visitor numbers to the park, and for that reason I'm not a fan.

Jaran-bong - Jaso-bong, 1.2km

The bridge delivers you onto the edge of Jaran-bong dome and our trails continues east along the ridge. After a couple of hundred metres is a junction, where a track descends to the right down to Cheongryang-sa via Yeonhwa-bong. Our trail continues along the ridge to Yeonjeok-bong, the first of three rocky tooth-like peaks over the next kilometre or so. The trail goes around Yeonjeok-bong, but there is a staircase to the top, which is worth climbing as the view is quite commanding. From the foot of Yeonjeok-bong is another option of descending to Cheongryang-san via Yeonhwa-bong.

Yeonjeok-bong means "Ink Water Bottle Peak", as that's what it resembled to good old Confucian magistrate Ju-Sebeong, and it's close neighbour Takpil-bong (above) is named for the shape of a tightly collected calligraphy brush - I can see that, and wouldn't mind betting Takpil-bong was named first.

There is no access to the top of Takpil-bong, and our trail skirts around its southern face and on toward Jaso-bong, for mine the most impressivepeak of Cheongryang-san. The path heads across the southern face of this peak, and you'll have to turn off the trail to climb the steep staircases to the summit. There are great views in all directions, but this is the only spot to get broad views to the north-east.

From the base of the peak a trail heads south down to Kimsaenggul cave and onto Cheongyrang-sa or Ipseok. It's the "main trail" I suppose - but our ridge circuit continues... 

Jaso-bong - Gyeongil-bong 1.2km

We continue east along the ridge, on a thinner trail which continues for almost a kilometre before reaching a ribbonned junction, where we'll head right (south) to Gyeongil-bong, the "Rising Sun Peak", as on every spring and autumn equinox, the sun rises over this peak when viewed from Yeondae platform of Cheongryang-sa.

Here we meet another junction, with the option of heading down to the temple, just a few hundred metres to the west, or turn south-east along the face of the rocks to Eunjin-jeon (above)

Heading south-east the trail passes along the face of Geumtap-bong to Chongmyeong-su (intelligence water) cave spring. Silla Dynasty confucian scholar Choi Chi-won spent a lot of time in this spot, and claimed the water of this spring made him more alert in his mind, so it became the intelligence water!

Just around the corner the trail meets the Buddhist hall Eungjin-jeon. Eungjin-jeon houses an image of King Gongmin's wife, the Mongolian Princess Noguk, who died in childbirth after the couple left Cheongryang-san. Eungjin-jeon is perched beneath Geumtap-bong's impressive southern boulders, known as the "rocks through which the wind blow" A favourite spot for Choi Chi-won to read and play his checkers, Geumtap-bong is also named Chiwon-bong.

Passing through the garden area of Eungjin-jeon, we turn south and after a few hundred metres meet the main inner mountain trail running from Cheongryang-sa to the Ipseok car park, a well worn walk out to the road.

From Ipseok, your way out is obviously down the road, it's a couple of kilometres down to the park entrance. If you head up the road a bit though, there is a Hyuge-so (rest area) at the pass with a supermarket and small restaurant, it's also a minbak. Also the entrance to the mountain fortress, shrine to King Gongmin and trail to Chukryeong-bong on the southern ridge are about 100m up the road on your right. Details for that trail at a later date.

Getting there

By car:

Cheongryang-san park office and trail entrance is on National Highway 35, approximately 40km north of Andong. From Andong follow directions heading to Dosan-seowon, but continue past another 15km or so.

From Bongwha take NH36 east, turn right (south) at the junction with NH35 and follow this road to the park.

From further afield: Take the Jungang Expressay (NE55), get off at Yeongju to reach Bonghwa. To reach Andong get off at West Andong if coming from the north or South Andong if coming from the south.

By Bus:

From Andong - Bus 67 leaves Andong at 05:50, 08:50, 11:50, 14:50, 17:50. Return times: 0650, 10:20, 13:20, 16:20, 18:40. The trip takes about an hour.

From Bonghwa - The Cheongryang-san bus leaves the terminal at 06:20, 09:20, 13:30, 1740. Return times: 07:00, 10:10, 14:30, 18:20 (40min trip)

This is a remote area, and from any direction you choose to arrive will take you through some of Korea's best tended and sleepiest farming villages - places like Myeongo-myeon and Jaesan-myeon to the west and Yean-myeon and Dosan-myeon to the south give the impression of going back in time. Life is slow and measured and the locals are proud farmers with confucian values stronger than anywhere in the country - maybe the world. To come to Cheongryang-san it is well worth taking some extra time to explore the side roads between Andong and Bonghwa, very few do, and you'll be amazed what you might find out there.

In recent years trails have been constructed along the riverside and through the hills and villages of both sides of the river here, collectively known as the Gasong-ri Yedeon-gil, a small part of a much wider connection of trails and rural paths called the Dosan Yet-gil, which connects the mountains and villages in a 20km radius around Dosan-seowon.

The trails on the southern side of the river through Gasong-ri are know as the Toegye Osol-gil (pilgrimage trail).

At the end of the narrow road flanking the river past Gasong-ri is a village of beautifully restored traditional Hanok buildings known as Nongam-jongtaek, many of which are associated with the great Confucian writer and scholar Lee Hyeon-bo, pen name Nongam (1467-1555), which the Toegye trails circle around.

The buildings were originally located under a cliff on the Buncheon stream near Dosan-seowon, but the area was flooded by the construction of the Andong dam in 1976, and they were individually moved to various areas nearby. In 2005 they were brought together to this location, which is considered a similiar site as that where they came from.

This was early days in the development of the trail, and was a bit of a bush-bash in places through the forest sections above the river. But expensive infrastructure in important parts of the trail had been built, such as railings along Wolmyeong-dae, park benches through the forest, good signage and the impressive viewing platform at the southern end of the trail, so I imagine that the path is now fully walkable and easily navigable.