Bori-am & Beopjusa Temple

Namhae is Korea’s fourth largest island. It’s also my favourite along the southern coast. The drive in is especially nice. Next time I head down to the southern coast, I’ll stay on Namhae the whole time. Yeosu and Geoje are beautiful, but Namhae is far nicer.

Shrouded deep in the forest and perched 681m high above sea level on the slopes of Mt. Geum-san, Bori-am, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a branch of Ssanggye Temple, one of three main sanctuaries of Buddhism in Korea. It’s said to be a hideaway best visited at sunset. Unfortunately, when we went it was raining and there was heavy fog cloaking much of the surrounding scenery. Regardless, I think the weather added a greater sense of mystery to the surroundings. Bori-am is about as remote as it gets.

Surrounded by Hallyeohaesang National Marine Park, the views from up here are breathtaking.

David Mason has some pretty outstanding photos on his site.

I’ve also thrown a few shots in the slideshow of Beojusa Temple, a much lesser known but equally beautiful Buddhist sanctuary on Namhae.

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