Jangneung Cluster and Sosu-seowon

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Jangneung Cluster

   Danjong was a boy of twelve when he became king, fourteen when he was forced off the throne, and sixteen when he died in exile, and the place where they buried him is Jangneung. In 1455 his uncle, later King Sejo, seized power, and two years later the boy was sent to Yeongwol, a remote valley in the mountains of Gangwon province, surrounded on three sides by river and on the fourth by cliffs. He died there in 1457, reportedly by poison and local tradition says a village official buried him secretly at night. His tomb was only restored to royal rank in 1698, centuries later, when a later king gave him the name Danjong.

   Read the complete Jangneung Cluster write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Jangneung Cluster is where the day begins. Next is Buseoksa Temple.

2. 2. Buseoksa Temple

   The name Buseoksa means temple of the floating stone, and the legend behind it involves a monk, a princess and a dragon. When the monk Uisang founded the temple in 676, after returning from studies in China, a young woman named Seonmyo who had fallen in love with him there is said to have followed him in the form of a dragon, and when local bandits opposed the new temple she lifted a huge rock into the air to frighten them off. A large boulder behind the main hall is still pointed out as the floating stone, and you will be told that a thread can be passed beneath it.

   Read the complete Buseoksa Temple write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Buseoksa Temple comes up about 46 km into the recorded legs. Next is Sosu-seowon.

3. 3. Sosu-seowon

   Pine trees older than anyone can remember shade the entrance to Sosu-seowon, the first Confucian academy in Korea to receive a royal charter. It was founded in 1543 by Ju Se-bung, a local magistrate, to honour An Hyang, a scholar of the Goryeo period who brought Neo-Confucianism to Korea from China. A few years later, the famous philosopher Yi Hwang, who also served in the area, petitioned the king to grant it official recognition, and the academy received a royal plaque in 1550 with the name Sosu. Since 2019 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies.

   Read the complete Sosu-seowon write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   about 61 km into the recorded legs you reach Sosu-seowon. Next is back through Buseoksa Temple.

4. 4. back through Buseoksa Temple

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Buseoksa Temple write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   back through Buseoksa Temple, late in the day. Next is Jangneung Cluster.

5. 5. Jangneung Cluster

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Jangneung Cluster write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Back at Jangneung Cluster. That is the ride.