In search of culture and nature in Gochang Jeonbuk | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

There are various theories about the construction date of Gochang Eupseong Fortress, but inscriptions found during repair of the government office building, historical documents, and characters engraved on fortress stones indicate construction was divided by section and shared among 19 counties and prefectures of Jeolla Left and Right provinces from the 32nd year of King Sejong of Joseon (1450) to the 1st year of Danjong (1453). Among the inscriptions are those of Mujang Simeon and Mujang Jong, and on the eastern gate bastion wall, the inscription "Gye-yu-so Chuk Gam Dong Song Ji Min (癸酉所築監董宋芝玟)" remains, which can be interpreted as showing that the fortress was built in Gye-yu year and that Mujang-hyeon participated in construction. Records about Gochang Eupseong first appear in Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungram (新增東國輿地勝覽) under Gochang Hyeon fortress section. Though published in the 25th year of King Jungjong (1530), the name "Sinjeung" only appears in the appendix, so the fortress construction date compresses to before the 17th year of King Seongjong (1484) based on the second revision by Kim Jong-jik and others mandated by the king. Mujang-hyeon was formed in the 17th year of King Taejong (1417) by merging Musong-hyeon and Jangsa-hyeon, so the Gye-yu year of construction must be after 1417, confirming Gochang Eupseong was built in 1453, a Gye-yu year. According to legend, stepping on stones of Gochang Eupseong while wearing a stone on your head grants longevity without illness and arrival at the Gate of Paradise after death, which leads to an annual fortress-walking event. The ritual is believed effective only during the leap month when gates to the afterlife open, with the leap month of March regarded as best. Especially significant are the dates of the 16th, 17th, and 20th days, believed to be when the gates open. Walking one lap cures leg ailments, two laps bring health and longevity, and three laps ensure ascension to paradise. Participants must carry a palm-sized stone on their heads and complete three laps, then leave the stones in designated areas. Emphasis on the leap March likely serves to firm the fortress after winter swelling, and carrying stones adds weight to strengthen the structure.

Dolmens are a representative burial style of the Bronze Age, with more than 30,000 known to be distributed across Korea. They are densely concentrated in the southwestern coastal areas of the Korean Peninsula, including Jeonnam and Jeonbuk. As of 2003, 2,632 dolmens in 424 clusters were known in Jeonbuk. Notably, as of 2023, Gochang-gun alone holds about 1,748 dolmens, over 65% of Jeonbuk’s total. The Gochang Dolmen Site is clustered around Joklim-ri, Sanggap-ri, and Dosan-ri, and was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in December 2000. It forms the largest single cluster in Korea, featuring various types of dolmens such as table-type, checkerboard-type, and open-type in one area. The site also includes a quarry that provides insight into dolmen construction processes, serving as important material for understanding the evolution of dolmens in Northeast Asia. The World Heritage Committee recognized its value based on criterion (iii) for being unique or exceptionally old. Gochang offers exploration courses: Course 1 to Course 5 cover 1.8 km around Joklim-ri of Gochang-eup and Sanggap-ri of Asan-myeon, and Course 6 covers 1.7 km in Dosan-ri of Gochang-eup, preserving the appearance of diverse dolmens from 3,000 years ago.

고향식당은 주 메뉴가 풍천 장어구이가 주 메뉴이다. 풍천장어는 강물과 바닷물이 어우리는 곳이면 어디서든지 구경할 수 있는 뱀장어의 일종이지만 선운산의 풍천장어는 그 맛이 달리 담백하고 구수하다.

Seonunsa Temple is the head temple of the 24th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, located on Dosolsan (兜率山) in Asan-myeon, Gochang-gun, Jeonbukteukbyeoljachi-do. Dosolsan is also called Seonunsan (禪雲山), and during the late Joseon period when Seonunsa flourished, 89 hermitages and 189 monk lodgings (료사, 寮舍) were scattered throughout the mountain, creating a magnificent Buddhist land. Along with Geumsansa Temple in Gimje, it is one of the two major head temples in Jeollabuk-do, with a long history, outstanding natural scenery, and valuable Buddhist cultural assets, attracting continuous worship and tourism all year round. The founding of Seonunsa has two legends: one that it was founded by King Jinheung of Silla and another that the great monk Geomdan (檢旦, 黔丹) founded it in the 24th year of King Wideok of Baekje (577). It is said that King Jinheung of Silla (540–576) relinquished the throne in his later years and stayed one night in a cave on Dosolsan, where he dreamt that the Maitreya triad statues split through a rock, inspiring him greatly to establish Joong-aesa Temple, the origin of this temple. However, since this area was Baekje territory fiercely contested with Silla at that time, it is unlikely that the Silla king founded this temple here. Therefore, considering the historical and geographical context, the founding by Monk Geomdan is accepted as the established theory. Various legends related to Monk Geomdan's founding are told: originally, the site of Seonunsa was a large pond inhabited by a dragon, and when Geomdan drove the dragon away and started filling the pond with stones, an epidemic of eye disease severely affected the village. However, when villagers poured a kiln of charcoal into the pond, the eye disease seemed to be cured, leading villagers to bring charcoal and stones, quickly filling the pond and later building Seonunsa on the site. Monk Geomdan named the temple 'Seonun (禪雲),' meaning 'dwelling in the cloud (雲), the mysterious boundary of wisdom, refining and attaining the state of meditation (禪).' Currently, Seonunsa houses a total of 25 cultural properties including 8 treasures, 3 natural monuments, 11 tangible cultural properties of Jeonbukteukbyeoljachi-do, and 3 cultural heritage materials of Jeonbukteukbyeoljachi-do. Especially, behind the Main Buddha Hall (Daeungjeon), a natural monument-designated colony of camellia trees about 500 years old and approximately 6 meters tall on average forms a spectacular flower screen in full bloom in spring. To commemorate Seonunsan's camellia forest, the Camellia Art Festival is held annually in mid-April.

This is the birthplace of Midang Seo Jeong-ju, located in Jinma Village near Seonunsa Temple and Jilmajae in Gochang. Midang attended a seodang at this house during childhood before moving to nearby Julpo at age 10, where he graduated from Julpo Elementary School. At age 15, in 1929, he entered Jungang High School in Gyedong, Seoul. This house is where he lived until around age 9 before moving to attend Julpo Elementary School. After his father died in 1942, relatives remodeled it to live in, but since around 1970 it was left uninhabited and was restored in 2001. Around the house, large rocks engraved with his poems and writings are displayed. The main thatched-roof building has four rooms at the front and two rooms on the side, while the thatched-roof back building facing it has a front of three rooms and two rooms on the side. Nearby are the Midang Poetry Museum dedicated to Seo Jeong-ju and the Inchon Birthplace.