Why this ride
383 km from Changnyeong to Changnyeong, about 5 h 53 of riding. On the way it passes Namgye-seowon, Seonamsa Temple and back through Namgye-seowon. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Okjeon Tumuli and Seonamsa Temple starting at Changnyeong
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 383 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 53
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Okjeon Tumuli
On a ridge above the Hwang river in Hapcheon County, a row of grassy mounds rises against the sky, each one the burial of a ruler or noble of Dara, one of the small kingdoms of the Gaya confederacy that flourished in the south of the Korean peninsula between the first and sixth centuries. Gaya was famous for its iron, traded across the region and to Japan, and its tombs held armour, weapons, horse gear, pottery and gold ornaments. The Okjeon tumuli are one of seven groups listed together by UNESCO in 2023 as the Gaya Tumuli.
Read the complete Okjeon Tumuli write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Okjeon Tumuli is where the day begins. Next is Namgye-seowon.
2. Namgye-seowon
Hamyang is a quiet county in the mountains of South Gyeongsang, on the eastern edge of Jirisan, the great massif in the south of the Korean peninsula, and Namgye-seowon stands on a gentle slope a few kilometres from the county town. Founded in 1552 to honour the Neo-Confucian scholar Jeong Yeo-chang, it was one of the earliest private academies in Korea and served as a model for many others. Its layout set a pattern: the lecture hall at the front, dormitories on either side, and the shrine for the rites at the top of the slope, so that the buildings climb the hill in a hierarchy of importance. Unusually, the dormitories have small raised pavilions overlooking ponds, where students could rest and contemplate the landscape. Namgye is part of the UNESCO listing of the Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies.
Read the complete Namgye-seowon write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Namgye-seowon comes up about 76 km into the recorded legs. Next is Seonamsa Temple.
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 191 km into the recorded legs you reach Seonamsa Temple. Next is back through Namgye-seowon.
4. back through Namgye-seowon
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Namgye-seowon write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Namgye-seowon, late in the day. Next is Okjeon Tumuli.
5. Okjeon Tumuli
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Okjeon Tumuli write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Okjeon Tumuli. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Okjeon Tumuli to Namgye-seowon
Okjeon Tumuli → Namgye-seowon is 76 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Namgye-seowon to Seonamsa Temple
Namgye-seowon → Seonamsa Temple is 115 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Seonamsa Temple to back through Namgye-seowon
Seonamsa Temple → back through Namgye-seowon is 115 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Namgye-seowon to Okjeon Tumuli
back through Namgye-seowon → Okjeon Tumuli is 77 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.