Daeheungsa Temple and Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Daeheungsa Temple

   Daeheungsa sits in a fold of the Duryunsan mountains, near the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, and the approach is half the reward. A long path runs beside a stream through an avenue of old trees, camellias, maples and cedar, and the sound of water follows you all the way up. The temple is among the more important in Korean Buddhism because of a monk named Hyujeong, known as Seosan Daesa, who led a force of warrior monks against the Japanese invasion of 1592. Before he died he asked that his robe and bowl be kept here, and the temple is now treated as the seat of that tradition. It is also tied to the history of Korean tea, since the monk Choui lived at a hermitage in its grounds and wrote on the subject.

   Read the complete Daeheungsa Temple write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Daeheungsa Temple is where the day begins. Next is Gochang.

2. 2. Gochang

   Ancient Korea built more dolmens than anywhere else on earth. These megalithic tombs, a huge capstone resting on smaller upright stones, were raised by Bronze Age communities some three thousand years ago, and the clusters at Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa were listed together as a World Heritage Site in 2000.

   Read the complete Gochang write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Gochang comes up about 104 km into the recorded legs. Next is Seonamsa Temple.

3. 3. Seonamsa Temple

   An old stone bridge arches over a stream in the forest on the way up to Seonamsa, and the view through its curve to a pavilion beyond is one of the best known images of Korean temple architecture. The Seungseongyo bridge dates back to the Joseon period, and the temple behind it, on the slopes of Jogyesan mountain near Suncheon, has a history going back to the ninth century. Seonamsa is one of seven Korean Buddhist mountain monasteries listed in 2018 as Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea, chosen because they have remained centres of living religious practice for over a thousand years.

   Read the complete Seonamsa Temple write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 173 km into the recorded legs you reach Seonamsa Temple. Next is Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol.

4. 4. Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol

   Korea's southern coast is a place where land and sea cannot decide who owns what. The tides here rise and fall by several metres, leaving wide mud flats, called getbol, that glitter in low light and fill with life. The Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats, were added to the UNESCO list in 2021 because they are a feeding ground for migratory birds travelling along the East Asian flyway, including rare ones such as the black-faced spoonbill. Boseong, Suncheon, Yeosu and Goheung are the four stretches here, strung along a coast of bays, islands and reed beds.

   Read the complete Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol, about halfway. Next is back through Seonamsa Temple.

5. 5. back through Seonamsa Temple

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Seonamsa Temple write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Seonamsa Temple sits at 233 km, about halfway. Next is back through Gochang.

6. 6. back through Gochang

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Gochang write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Gochang comes up about 337 km into the recorded legs. Next is Daeheungsa Temple.

7. 7. Daeheungsa Temple

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Daeheungsa Temple write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Daeheungsa Temple closes the day.