Korean Trails

Dominant peaks of the western Palgong-jimaek ridge. Chilgok-gun, Daegu-si, Gunwi-gun, Gyeongsan-si, Yeongcheon-si (Gyeongsangbuk-do)

The Palgong-san Provincial Park was established in 1980, and covers some 30,000sqkm, with Biro-bong (1192m), the highest peak of the range, at it's centre. The park includes over 20km of the Palgong-jimaek ridge from Ga-san (902m) and it's mountain fortress in Chilgok county to the west, across Biro-bong to Gwan-bong (850m) and Gat-bawi to the east in Gyeongsan city, as well as long ridge arms stretching north into Gunwi County, north east into Yeongcheon City and south to Daegu city.

For most, hiking begins on the southern side of the mountain from the famous entrances of Donghwa-sa, beneath Biro-bong at the centre of the park, and Gatbawi to the southeast. The trail between these two famous sites is the most popular, and probably the most rewarding hike in the park.

I decided to walk this circuit, as well as the route from Pagye-sa temple to Donghwa-sa. Both walks are between 10-15km long - more attractive day walking lengths in this country.

Transport to these temples is easy and frequent from Daegu city, see bottom of page for options.

Donghwa-sa Entrance - 1.9km - Yeombul-am - 1.8km - Biro-bong - 1.4km - Yeombul-bong - 4.6km - Eunhae-bong - 1.8km - Gatbawi - 2km - Boeun-sa (13.5km)

Through the main gate the road heads east past a dammed pond before reaching the main carpark opposite Biro-am, a charming hermitage which is also the centre of the templestay program in Donghwa-sa.

Here the driving road ends and all visitors must park.

The road path continues east into Donghwa-sa, which is a couple of hundred metres further on, but our path to Biro-bong heads north up the small road to the left of the information kiosk and park map.

It's well worth going into Donghwa-sa for a look-see if you've the time, a fantastic 1500 year old temple, built on the nest of a phoenix, and home of Tongil-daebul, one of the tallest standing Buddha statues on earth.

I wrote an article on Donghwa-sa's templestay program for the Korea Times a couple of years back. For more information on the program and the temple, read it here

From within the main compound of Donghwa-sa are two trailheads which run to the main ridge. The first, just inside the temple runs 2.6km north to Byeongpung-bawi, 2.3km east of Biro-bong. The second heads east from Tongil-daebul up Pokpo-gol gorge to Bareun-jae, 3.4km west of Gat-bawi, this is the quickest route over that way, but doesn't cross any of the major peaks.

Our small road heads north from the info booth through lush forest (depending on the season) alongside a gorge for about 800m to Budo-am hermitage.

Here the road forks. To the right it leads to the hermitages of Naewon-am and Yangjin-am, while our road heads northwest for a further kilometre to Yeombul-am, becoming very steep over the final few hundred metres to the highest hermitage of Donghwa-sa.

Yeombul-am is a beautiful hermitage in a dramtic setting at the head of a vibrant stream and enclosed in thick forest. Behind the main hall is a massive pyramadical granite boulder, with relief carvings on two of its sides. On it's western side is Amithaba, Buddha of the western paradise, while on the south side is Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Mercy.

Biro-bong has great views as you'd expect, but is completely dominated by a huge communications facility which takes up the whole southern and western side of the summit, and makes through walking to Dong-bong impossible, so at this stage hikers have to backtrack and pass around the southern side of the peak to connect with the trail east.

On my last climb to the peak was a protest banner, not for the communications facility, but for the name of the peak, claiming Biro-bong is not the original or proper name. It's alternative name is "Jewang-bong" (제왕봉). Also Seo-bong should be Samseong-bong and Dong-bong should be Mita-bong.

These are old sacred Buddhist names, and are probabaly the originals. Seo and Dong simply mean west and east, and Biro, although having a great meaning referring to the closest point to the "cosmic light", is a very common name for the highest peak in many parks.

Backtracking for a time off the peak the trail wraps around the southern face into a shallow pass between Biro-bong and Dong-bong (Jewang-bong and Mita-bong).

Here you are met by the massive Yaksa-yeorae statue, a very feminine looking 6m tall masterpiece of the barefoot standing Healing Buddha.

The pass is a 3-way junction. Here a track heads north-east down a gorge to Jinburam Temple (2.5km), while we head east over Dong-bong and a further kilometre along a narrowing ridge to Yeombul-bong (1036m).

The trail passes Byeongpul-bawi some 400 metres on from the peak, with good views all around. Over the next 2.5km there are 3 junctions where tracks head off the ridge back down to Donghwa-sa. 500m east of Byeongpung-bawi, 0.9km further east at Sinryeong-jae pass, and a further 1.2km on at Bareun-jae. Those final two tracks meet in the Pokpo-gol gorge and head to Tongil-daebul in Donghwa-sa.

Sinryeong-jae, the 2nd junction, also has a track heading north off the mountain to Sudo-sa temple by way of the Gongsan-pokpo falls.

From both Nojeok-bong and Seonbon-jae tracks head south-west down to Bukjijang-sa temple (3km ridge track from Nojeok-bong / 2km gorge track from Seonbon-jae).

An eastern track also leaves Seonbon-jae, heading 800m down to Seonbon-sa temple.

Heading southeast from the pass, our trail is only 300m from Gatbawi, and meets the Gatbawi - Gwanam-sa trail just a hundred metres below the mighty statue.

Vendors do a roaring trade in incense, and there is a giftshop selling everything from Buddhist literature to key rings. Ridge walkers coming to the end of the hike may be pleased to know there are vending machines with ice cold refreshments.

Gat-bawi faces south off the peak, which is the direction our trail will take down to our trail end at Gwandeok-sa.

If you walk around behind Gatbawi, a staircase track leads down to Yak-sa-am hermitage which is well worth checking out, from here a trail heads east along a high road down to Daehan-ri in North Gyeongsan City. From north behind Gatbawi you can walk a kilometre to Seonbon-sa temple.

Our trail off Gwan-bong heads back down the southern staircase which we came in on, and continues past the ridge junction for 900 metres to Gwanam-sa temple. From here the trail is paved, and continues a further 1.1km to Boeun-sa temple and the main Gatbawi entrance to the park .

For Gatbawi - Daegu City Bus 401 leaves from Beommul-dong and stops by Dong Daegu Station on its way to Gatbawi.

From Dong-daegu Palgong 2 bus also heads to Gatbawi.

Between Donghwa-sa and Gatbawi - Palgong 3 bus runs along the Palgong-san beltway road connecting Gatbawi, Donghwa-sa and Pagye-sa.

The Pagye-sa entrance has a large carpark right off the beltway road where the bus also stops. There is a Family Mart convenience store and a couple of swanky looking western restaurants.

Pagye-sa itself is a kilometre toward the mountain from the carpark, and the trail follows the paved driveway to the temple, passing an excellent, modern campground, my pick as the best in the park.

This trail is indeed there, but depending on the time of year it may be closed, if so signs direct you north-west up a concrete road toward Seongjeon-am hermitage, from where you can access the ridge. This was the case on my visit, and adds another 1.5km or so to the journey.

Don't be disappointed though if this is the case, Seongjeon-am is a beautiful amja in a great spot, with commanding views south over Daegu city from it's open platform location below the ridge.

In February of 2007 much of the hermitage was claimed by fire, effects of which are still evident in the surrounding forest,. Seongjeon-am was rebuilt in 2010 The monks of this hermitage practice deep meditation, and often maintain silence. Signs at the temple acknowledge this and ask visitors to also respect this.

Seongjeon-am became quite influential during the middle years of the Joseon Dynasty, in the reign of King Sukjong. The story goes that Sukjong had failed to produce a male heir, and desperately wanted one, consulted with Seongjeon-am resident monk Yongpa-seonsa. The request was for Yongpa to pray for 100 days in the hope this would help the King's efforts. After the 100 day prayer, Yongpa-seonsa left to travel the country, and meanwhile Sukjong's wife became pregnant. Yongpa became deeply impressed with the monk Nongsan-seunim, who he observed in his travels, and decided that Nongsan is the only man worthy of ruling Joseon. Nongsan-seunim knoew of this story, and upon dying appeared as an apparition to the Queen, saying "I will be born again in this world"

Sukjong and his wife had their boy, the future King Yeongjo, the reincarnation of the monk Nongsan.

Sukjong was so overjoyed he traveled to Pagye-sa with the offer of a huge amount of land for the temple, but Yongpa-seunim declined the offer. Instead he had some other requests, he requested that every temple in Joseon have a Giyeong-gak (shrine) built to pray for Sukjong's mother. He also asked that all monks be free over labour, and be able to spend their time in meditation. The requests were granted.

When Yeongjo became King he gave Yongpa the title HyeonUng-josa, and the signboard at the hermitage refers to its name as Seongjeon-am Hyeonung-seonwon

From Seongjeon-am our trail heads west, keeping above a gorge to the ridge trail, which you'll meet about a kilometre or so west of Pagye-jae. Walking east the trail joins the Palgong-jimaek trail at a the Hanti Junction, the high road pass of Hanti-jae is 1.7km north-west from here, and our trail heads 400m east to Pagye-jae.

Pagye-jae is celebrated by a large stone stele in a clearing near the trail, The Wondang Bongsan Pyoseok. The stele was erected in 1696, when Pagye-sa was designated as a place to wish for the security and good fortune of the Joseon Dynasty, this is where the term "Wondang" comes from.

"Bongsan" designates this as a conservation area, and the stone serves as a notice not to cut trees, and to preserve this mountain area. Whether this is a response to the monk Yongpa's, or response to unsustainable practice in the area, this is a heck of an old conservation sign!

From the rocks the trail becomes thinner and the trail largely runs below the northern side of the increasingly jagged jongju ridge. In almost complete daytime shade, this 2.5km section to Seo-bong can be a slippery struggle in the winter, and crampons are definitely advised if there's snow or ice about, it tends to stick around in this area and become a feature into the early spring.

The trail opens out of this shady section for the climb to Seo-bong, which is made considerable easier by a large modern staircase.

Just before the peak itself, a track heads southwest down to Buin-sa (3.6km).

Descending 400m east from Seo-bong into Odo-jae pass, the trail meets it's first junction with a track heading down to the Donghwa-sa area, this track will take you to the Daegu Safety Themepark area, a couple of kilometres west of Donghwa-sa.

Ma-ae - 8th century

Getting to Pagye-sa

Palgong 3 Bus runs from Dongmyeong, Chilgok-gun in Daegu's Buk-gu area, where Provincial Road 79 leaves National Highway 5 and heads east to the mountain.

Palgong 3 runs to Pagye-sa, Buin-sa, Donghwa-sa and Gatbawi on it's route along the Palgong Beltway Road.

Chilgok 3 Bus runs to Pagye-sa from Daegu's Bukgu/Chilgok area, leaving from the SD I-life Apartments on Highway 5 and the Gyeongbuk Foreign University.

From within Daegu City itself City Bus 101 runs out to Pagye-sa, leaving from the western side of Daegu Bukbu Library and Bukgu City Hall.