South of Seoul,
Korea South’s western area is famous for its jagged stunning
coastline and its varieties of National and Provincial Parks, especially the Kyeryongsan National Park which
features the 2
attractive
temples of Kapsa and Dongkaksa.
35 kilometres (20 miles) apart, both Kongju and Puyo
were once the capital of the ancient Paekche kingdom.
Presently, many burial mounds are still to be found in the area
and both towns posses branches of the National Museum
providing displays of artefacts dating back over 1,000 years.
The Kongju National Museum also boasts the crowns
and other treasures excavated from the tomb of King Muryeon.
A nearby reconstruction of the tomb is open to tourists. The Nakhwaam Rock, located not far from Puyo, is well-known for the
tragic suicide of 3,000 women of the Paekche court
during the last days of the Paekche dynasty in the 7th century
AD.
Further south, Teogyusan National Park features several
waterfalls and is as famous as the southernmost skiing
area in Korea (Rep). Situated
at the foot of Mount Maisan, the temple of Tapsa is famous for its
80 unique pagodas, built with thousands of small stones by a Buddhist
hermit. |
