Jiri-san
The "Exquisite Wisdom Mountain" is probably the holiest of South Korea's mountains and is its first and largest National Park. It sprawls over five counties and three provinces, featuring three sacred summits: Cheonhwang-bong (Heavenly-King Peak, 1915m), Banya-bong (Enlightening-Wisdom Peak, 1733m), and Nogo-dan (Crone-Altar Peak, 1507m). Jiri-san is home to many Shamanic shrines and ancient and modern Buddhist temples attracting pilgrims. Some believe this mountain to be the secondary Korean residence of Munsu Bosal (Manjusri). Among the most prominent of its grand monasteries is Hwaeom-sa (Flower-Garland-Sutra Temple), reconstructed in the 670s by Great Master Uisang to serve as a center for the study of the Hwaeom (Hua-yen) doctrines.
More photos on page 2
For additional information by Professor David Mason, visit san-shin.net.
Martin Gray is a cultural anthropologist, writer and photographer specializing in the study of pilgrimage traditions and sacred sites around the world. During a 40 year period he has visited more than 2000 pilgrimage places in 165 countries. The World Pilgrimage Guide at sacredsites.com is the most comprehensive source of information on this subject.