Gayasan National Park

Gayasan (or Udusan) ranges the administrative district of Hapcheon-gun, and Geochang-gun, Gyeongnam and Seoju-gun, Gyeongbuk. The main peak is Sangwangbong(1,430m). The mountain was designated as National Park No. 9 on October 13, 1972. In the mountain there are distinguished heritages and nature such as Haeinsa. standing Buddha, Yongmun Falls and Hongryudong valley. Gayasan(1,430m) is a branch mountain of Sobaeksanmaek Mountain Ridge. Though there are higher mountains, Gayasan has been called 'The Best Mountain in Korea' in its dignity. Gayasan, together with Mt. Odaesan(1,563m) and Sobaeksan(1,439m), was not destructed by the Japanese invasion. It has been said that this mountain is free of three big disasters(fire, drought, typhoon). However, it became a meeting place with opening Olympic Expressway.

On the southwestern slope stands Haeinsa Temple, which is one of the three treasure temples in Korea. It is well known that Haeinsa houses World Cultural Heritage, Tripitaka Koreana(National Treasure No.32), Palman Daejanggyeong Panjeon(National Treasure No. 52), Standing stone Buddha (Treasure No.264), and other treasures.
The street to get to Haeinsa is covered with cherry blossoms in spring. Hongryudong 10-ri valley shows different beauty matched with thick old pine trees in each season. In spring the valley is covered with azaleas and royal azaleas. In summer the water of the valley flow fast. As it resembles Okryucheon in Geumgangsan, it is called as Okryudong. In fall, it is covered with red maple. Because of the red maple, the water of the valley look red. So the valley is called as Hongrydong, meaning 'Red water Village'.
In the late Silla Dynasty Choe Chi Won secluded himself from the world and took Hongryudong as his hermit. There is a rock named 'Chiwondae' or 'Jesiseok', which inscribed Choe Chi Won's poet. Nongsan-jeong is the paviliion where Choe Chi Won played Baduk.