▲ The panoramic view of Mount. Wolchul is seen in this photo provided by the Korea Heritage Service. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- The Mount. Wolchul area in southwestern South Korea, renowned for its dramatic granite peaks rising abruptly from vast plains, will be designated as a state-designated scenic site, the Korea Heritage Service said Friday.

 

The agency announced plans to designate the Mount. Wolchul area, spanning Yeongam and Gangjin counties in South Jeolla Province, as a Scenic Site under the National Heritage Act.

 

Long celebrated for its striking landscape, Mount. Wolchul has often been called the "Geumgangsan of the Honam region." The mountain is famous for its towering granite formations surrounding Cheonhwangbong and Gujeongbong peaks like a folding screen.

 

▲ The Cloud Bridge on Mount. Wolchul. (Yonhap)

 

According to the Korea Heritage Service, Mount. Wolchul was recorded as "Wollaeak" of Wollae County in the 1145 historical chronicle "Samguk Sagi."

 

The National Heritage Portal, operated by the agency, says the mountain was known as "Wollasan" during the Silla Kingdom and "Wolsaengsan" during the Goryeo Dynasty, citing the historical geography book "Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam."

 

Mount. Wolchul is also home to a long history intertwined with nature.

 

Cheonhwangbong Peak has been regarded as a sacred mountain where state rites were conducted from the Unified Silla period, preserving traditions of mountain worship and royal ceremonies.

 

The mountain is home to Dogapsa and Muwisa temples, both traditionally believed to have been founded by the late Silla Buddhist monk Doseon, a renowned master of geomancy, and also features a National Treasure-designated seated Buddha rock carving on its mountainside.

 

Historical records also praise the mountain's beauty.

 

According to the National Heritage Portal, Joseon-era poet Kim Si-seup described Mount. Wolchul by writing, "Among the paintings of the southern land stands this mountain, where the moon rises not from the clear sky but from within its valleys."

 

▲ The national treasure "Yeongam Mount. Wolchul Rock-carved Seated Buddha" is seen in this photo provided by the Korea Heritage Service. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

Goryeo scholar Kim Geuk-gi also wrote of "having long heard of Mount. Wolchul's many wondrous sights, where shade and sunlight, cold and warmth exist in perfect harmony."

 

The mountain is also valued for its cultural geography and folklore, with various beliefs and legends associated with its landscape, including the nine wells atop Gujeongbong Peak.

 

Beyond its scenery, Mount. Wolchul is considered significant for its geological and ecological value.

 

The mountain is an isolated granite massif that rises sharply from surrounding plains, with diverse granite weathering landforms. The Korea Heritage Service also noted that it is home to unusual vegetation, including insectivorous plants.

 

"The area holds great value as a multifaceted mountain cultural landscape where state rituals, Buddhist culture and historical records have accumulated over centuries on a foundation of granite mountain scenery," the agency said.

 

The Korea Heritage Service will gather public opinions for 30 days before finalizing the designation following deliberation by the National Heritage Committee.

 

Separately, the agency designated the Daeseongjeon hall of Andong Yean Hyanggyo as a Treasure on Friday.

 

The Confucian academy, which narrowly escaped submersion during the construction of Andong Dam in the 1970s, has preserved the region's historical legacy.

 

Hyanggyo were local Confucian schools where ancestral rites for Confucian sages were held and Confucian education was provided.

 

"Despite the threat of submersion, it has preserved the region's identity and served as a key architectural heritage site that played a central role in Confucian education and local community organization during the Joseon Dynasty," a Korea Heritage Service official said.

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