Sokcho is a unique tourist attraction with a booming port, a beautiful mountain and an ecological lake

Jangseong of South Jeolla Province is famous as the birthplace of many great Korean scholars who possessed a penetrating spirit for defending the fatherland. Beautiful mountains, refreshing forests and extensive cultural heritage are what make Jangseong such an attractive place for tourists to visit.

Baekyang Temple

Baekyang Temple or Baekyangsa is one of the most famous temples in Korea. The old Buddhist temple is known to have been built in the age of King Mu of the Baekje Kingdom. Its original name was Baekam Temple, and was renamed Jeongto Temple after undergoing significant reconstruction by the Buddhist monk Jungyeonseonsa in 1034. Daewoongjeon Hall is the main sermon hall and contains a statue of Buddha. It was established by a great monk, Songmanam Daejongsa and was reconstructed in Baekyangsa for the 5th time in 1917. It is a unique house of double eaves. The striking feature of this building is that all the intervals of the pillars in the facade are the same. It was reconstructed in the 20th century, but still keeps its traditional style.

Geukrakbojeon Hall is the oldest structure in the present Baekyangsa and is thought to have been established by Hwaneung Seonsa, a zen master, in the seventh year (1574) of the King Seonjo in the Joseon Dynasty. Great Priest Soyo's Buddha in Baekyangsa is located in Budojeon at the entrance of the Baekyang Temple. It is a Seokjong (stone bell)-type Buddha measuring 156cm in height. Only the upper part is visible because the foundation stones are buried in the lower part. The upper body expresses the traditional shapes of temple bells.

Pilam Seowon & Chukryeong Mountain

In addition, Pilam Seowon (Lecture Hall) in Jangseong is a place for scholars to study and perform memorial services. The Pilam Lecture Hall was established to cherish the memory in the 23rd year of King Seonjo (1590). It has the type of “Jeonhakhumyo” that locates the learning place at the front and service place at the back. Starting from Hwakyeonru, a resting place, Cheongjeoldang lectures are given with Dongjae and Seojae ( students' living spaces). To the north, the separated space is made with a door and fence for a shrine, with memorial services given there.

Meanwhile, the forest in Chukryeong Mountain, measuring more than 72 acres, has been loved by people since 1956. The forest has an exotic atmosphere, contains a lot of trees and is known as a successful forestation project in Korea. Furthermore, a road through the forest links it to the nearest village, Moam Mountain Village. The village has forest cabins and natural recreation areas. Tourists can enjoy the unique scenery of Geumgok Cinema Village, a place harmonized with its natural surroundings and is popular with families as a resting place . There is a tourist farm located at the entrance of the mountain. Near the largest artificial forestation place in Korea, the Chukryeong Mountain Recreation Forest is a good place to rest within the beautiful nature. It is operated by the residents of Moam village, Seosam-myeon, with profits from the cabins used in the development of the village.

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