Exploring Hadong Tea Culture and Beautiful Green Mountains | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Ssanggyesa Temple was built when Sambeop Monk returned from studying Confucianism in the 21st year of King Seongdeok of Silla, bringing and enshrining the relics of Huineng, the 6th Patriarch of Chinese Seon Buddhism. In the 2nd year of King Munseong (840), Jingamseonsa Hyeso named it Okcheonsa, but it changed to Ssanggyesa in the 2nd year of King Jeonggang. Ssanggyesa, burned down during the Imjin War, was rebuilt by Byeokam Daesa in the 10th year of King Injo (1632). Attractions include the famous cherry blossoms of Ssanggyesa, the handwritten Ssanggyeseokmun by Goun Choe Chi-won, the stele of Jingamseonsa Daegongtap, a natural elm tree in the northern Guksam temple yard, and Buil Waterfall, located in the two valleys of Cheonghakbong and Baekhakbong to the northeast. Ssanggyesa is closely associated with tea; in the 3rd year of King Heungdeok of Silla (828), Kim Daeryeom brought tea seeds from the Tang Dynasty as an envoy and planted them around the southern Jirisan near Ssanggyesa by royal command. Near the Iljumun gate, the Tea Seed Planting Memorial Stele stands, and there is also a Tea Seed Planting Site monument in the village tea fields.

하동 차문화센터는 하동차의 역사와 문화를 이해하고 차의 신비로움을 체험하는 '차문화전시관'과 전통수제다법으로 덖음차 만들기 체험과 하동녹차 다례체험을 할 수 있는 '차 체험관', 그리고 하동의 전통도예를 체험할 수 있는 '도자기체험장'과 다양한 명품하동차를 구입할 수 있는 '차 판매장'이 있다. 부대시설인 차문화광장에는 하동차의 역사를 시대별로 이해할 수 있는 '어차동산' 비와 '다촌 정상구 시비'가 있으며 일년 열두달 관광객들의 쉼터로서의 역활과 더불어 문화체육관광부 지정 하동야생차 문화축제가 매년 이곳에서 개최되고 있다.

이곳은, 한국 야생차특구, 십리벗꽃, 화개장터, 최참판댁, 화엄사, 쌍계사, 칠불사, 지리산 둘레길이 주변에 있어서 사계절 관광여행객들이 찾는 곳으로 각종 볼거리가 많으며 이곳에 위치한 찻잎마술은 녹차를 재료로 맛이 나는 특산물로 만드는 하동유일의 녹차전문 한정식집이다. 건강먹거리와 휴양도시로서의 편안한 공간을 마련한다.

In the 3rd year of King Heungdeok of Silla (828), Kim Daeryeom, who went as an envoy to Tang China, brought tea tree seeds and planted them for the first time here on the Jirisan mountain range by royal order. It is said that in the 5th year of King Heungdeok, Monk Jingam propagated the tea. Even now, wild tea plantations stretch along the slopes on both sides from the entrance of Hwagejangteo Market passing Ssanggyesa to Sinheung. It is designated as a local monument, with a memorial stele for Daeryeomgong's tea tree origin erected, and was officially registered as a tea tree origin site in July 2008. Ssanggyesa tea is made by picking leaves grown after drinking bamboo dew, and is called Jukrocha or Jakseolcha. One-year-old branches are white with many small hairs, two-year-old branches are grayish brown and hairless. Leaves are pointed long ovals, green on the surface and grayish green beneath. Flowers bloom from October to November, and tea leaves are first picked from Gogu (Grain Rain) to make tea, continuing for about a month. The quality varies depending on the time of picking.

불일폭포는 지리산 10경의 하나이다. 쌍계사에서 3km 지점에 있어 쌍계사를 답사한 후 불일폭포를 등산하면 좋은 여행이 된다. 쌍계사에서 등산로를 따라 4백m쯤 오르면 국사암이라는 조그마한 암자가 있는데, 삼법화상이 신라 성덕왕 21년(722)에 건립하여 수도하던 곳으로 삼법화상이 입적한 후 110년 만에 진감선사가 중건했고, 이로 인해 국사암이라고 이름 지었다.