Destination: Sambul-am / Mangwolsa (Namsan, Gyeongju)



Author's note: A huge thanks and shout-out to Sherwin over at www.gyeongjublog.com for showing the Lady in Red and I around during our visit.

For part of our Gyeongju trip, we had the privilege of meeting a fellow K-blogger. He was kind enough to take us around in his car to several Gyeongju-area destinations. Our first stop: the southern part of Namsan mountain - an area holding a hermitage and a temple worth a quick look. Above are three Buddha statues moved here from Seonbang temple in 1923, and are believed to be from the 7th century. From left to right, you have the Buddha of compassion, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvra; the Buddha himself; and the Bodhisattva of power, Mahasthamaprapta.

This, unfortunately, was the only thing with an English sign explaining things. A hermit welcomed us to Sambul-am, explaining he had lived there for decades, and offered us a postcard of the aforementioned Buddhist statues.

There's plenty of hiking trails going through the mountains. It would be easy to spend the day here if you came prepared for it; otherwise, it was time to walk to Mangwolsa:



One of the deva protecting Mangwolsa. Gotta love those muscles.



While not exactly far off the beaten path, no English was around to help us learn much more about it.



Lest you think the only thing to see at a temple are some ancient buildings...


It's a great warm-up to hiking Namsan Park, or looking for a place to relax. Not much to see by itself, so consider it one of many things to see in Gyeongju.

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks):
Ease to arrive:


Foreigner-friendly:


Convenience facilities:


Worth the visit:

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