EXODUS DMC

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National Park


Gayasan

Gayasan (South eastern region)
Mountains, in particular, offer endless desires and hopes. The moment we have satisfied our needs, we feel the same sense of elation as we do when we conquer the mountains. However, for people who really understand mountains, conquest doesn't mean anything. People feel joy and achievement when they climb mountains. But the victory lies not in the conquest, but in the challenge itself. A mountain climber once said, "I climb because it is only there." Gayasan is also called Udusan (head of cow) because it is shaped like the head of a cow. The entire area stretches 77§´ with its highest peak Sangwangbong (1,430m). Gayasan was designated as the 9th National Park of Korea in 1972. It is a great mountain range with many scenic spots and places of historical interest, such as Haeinsa temple housing Tripitaka Koreana. From times gone by, Gayasan has been considered as having generosity and wisdom. The sound of the wind, water, mountains and wooden gongs with pine trees adorning the hills harmonize with a poet's heart. Buddhist scholars usually say that it has close connections with Haeinsa one of the three great temples in Korea. Gaya means 'cow' in Sanscrit and Gayasan is well-known for Buddha's preach in ancient India. Gayasan also represents the spring of wisdom and humanity and the sprits of ancestors who fought hard to overcome the crisis with which the country faced. Gayasan was the inspiration behind Tripitaka Koreana and pen name Goun Choi Chiwon, a great scholar of Silla, who abandoned the mundane world to become a holy man.