Boriam

In 683 AD, after Great Master Wonhyo built a hermitage here and, through ascetic practice, personally encountered Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, he named the mountain Bogwangsan and the hermitage Bogwangsa. Later, it is said that Yi Seong-gye prayed here for one hundred days and then founded the Joseon Dynasty. In gratitude, King Hyunjong made this temple a royal ancestral shrine in 1660 and changed the mountain's name to Geumsan and the temple's name to Boriam. Boriam, situated at the peak of Geumsan, is a beautiful temple from which one can behold all of Geumsan's strange and peculiar rocks and the scenic blue waters of the Southern Sea at a glance. Within the temple grounds, the Jwaseondae rock, where Great Master Wonhyo is said to have meditated, draws attention, and the Ssanghongmun rock cave nearby is known as the finest of Geumsan's 38 scenic spots. Along with Hongyeonam in Naksansa Temple, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, and Bomunsa Temple in Ganghwado, Gyeonggi-do, it is one of Korea's three great prayer sites, with devotees visiting in lines every day. Geumsan, known for its outstanding scenery, often called the "Geumgang of the Southern Sea," and referred to as a "rock zoo" due to its numerous animal-shaped rocks. At the peak of Geumsan, a mountain from which one can look down upon the harmony of the azure sea and green fields, and fully enjoy the beauty of Hallyeohaesang National Park, stands Boriam, the most famous of Korea's three great prayer sites, said to have been founded by Great Master Wonhyo. Furthermore, Geumsan holds Buddhist legends in each of its rocks, and Boriam is surrounded by unique rock formations such as Daejangbong, Hyeongriam, Hwaeombong, Ilwolbong, and Samburam. The course climbing from Sangju Village's Geumsan entrance to Boriam is an excellent hiking trail where lush forests and the Southern Sea create a harmonious view. If you stay overnight and witness the sunrise from Geumsan, the sunrise is so spectacular that you can't help but feel the harmony of heaven and earth. By car, a road leads past Aenggang Ridge, through Beoksigol in Idong-myeon, past Bokgok Reservoir, and up to 80% of Geumsan's height.