National Park
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Woraksan
Woraksan (Central western region)Nowadays, looking at a distant mountain and high blue sky, breathing in fresh air, and drinking clear water from two hands out of a brook flowing down the rocks became nothing but an old memory in the past. However, some of the old scenes fading from our memory can be still found in the Woraksan National Park. Woraksan is located in the middle of Baekdudaegan connecting Sobaeksan and Songnisan, and often called "Yeongbong" -meaning divine peak - thanks to the steep physical features and ferociously tall cliffs. It has more than 22 small and large peaks, including the main peak, Woraksan Yeongbong, Mansubong, Yongmasan, Sinseonbong and Doraksan. Standing next to the Yongha Valley on the east and the Songgye Valley on the west, Woraksan is creating a site of superb scenic beauty, and the Seonam Valley located in the far east of Woraksan also shows off its beauty. Mountains inside the Woraksan National Park are famous for its precipice as they usually consist of rock peaks or rock hills. Instead, the view from the summit or ridgeline of these mountains is as beautiful as a painting owing to the thick old pine trees and rock hills. The park contains numerous cultural resources such as the standing Buddha statue in the Mireungnisaji (Temple Site) - where Crown Prince Mai and Princess Deokju lamented over the national ruin at the end of the Silla Dynasty - the Buddha sculpture in the Deokjusa temple, and Deokjusanseong Fortress Walls. Moreover, the park boasts of its scenic masterpiece created by exquisitely harmonized lofty mountains and steep ridgelines - including the Munsubong, the highest peak in the park, Daemisan, Mansubong, Hwangjangsan, Doraksan, Jebibong and Geumsusan, falls and ponds. Designated as the 17th national park in 1984, Woraksan has a relatively spacious area of 288㎢ spanning 2 provinces (Chungbuk and Gyeongbuk), 3 cities (Jecheon, Chungju and Mungyeong) and 1 county (Danyang). In addition, the park possesses abundant natural and cultural resources, and has become one of the popular four-season tourist attractions along with the Chungju Lake. The Suanbo Spa (largest alkaline hot spring in Korea), Tangeumdae (where Ureuk naturalized in Silla from Gaya used to play the gayageum) and Cheongpung Cultural Property Complex (which collected various cultural properties from the flooded area near the Chungju Dam) add greater fun to the trip to Woraksan. You can board a ferry at the Chungju Ferry Terminal to several destinations, Mount Woraksan National Park, Cheongpung Cultural Center and resort town of Danyang. You can enjoy the many stunning rock formations, including the granite cliffs of Oksun Peak, the rocky peaks of Gudambong. Danyang is also the location of spectacular rock formations known as "Eight Sceneries of Danyang.''
