Wonjong Village Made Famous by a Single Signboard | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Wonchon Village is the representative signboard village of Baegun-myeon in Jinan. The name Baegun-myeon, meaning 'white cloud,' refers to a quaint rural village located on the high plateau of Mujinjang (Muju, Jinan, Jangsu counties). In 2007, Wonchon Village was developed under the project titled 'Art in City - Jinan Baegun-myeon Public Art Project,' hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and sponsored by the Korea Arts Council. This was planned by local residents and design experts to promote free communication without boundaries between urban and rural areas. Beautiful signboards brighten the village scenery, and paintings also decorate the village’s empty walls. Nearby are Jinan’s top scenic spots including Maisan Mountain, Baegun Valley, Yongdam Lake, and Demisaem, the source of the Seomjin River, making it a living, pristine rural village on the Jinan plateau. (Source: Jinan-gun Culture & Tourism homepage)

On the southern entrance road of Maisan, after passing the ticket booth, Geumdangsa is located on the left. If you go further up from Geumdangsa, you will find Tapsa of Maisan. It is said to have been founded by Monk Hyegam in 814. In the Geungnakjeon Hall, there is the Geumdangsa Wooden Buddha Seated Statue carved from a ginkgo tree over a thousand years old and a hanging Buddhist painting (Gwaebultenghwa). This Gwaebultenghwa depicts a single standing Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and is considered a masterpiece from the late 17th century, alongside the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Gwaebultenghwa of Tongdosa and the Maitreya Bodhisattva Gwaebultenghwa of Muryangsa. It is said that when this hanging Buddhist painting is displayed and a rain ritual is held, rain inevitably falls. Also located here is a three-story stone pagoda of Geumdangsa, believed to have been built during the Baekje period.

Located about 1.9 km from the southern parking lot of Maisan, Maisan Tapsa is famous for its more than 80 stone pagodas built by the hermit Igapyong. During a turbulent time marked by the Imo Rebellion and the execution of Jeon Bong-jun, Igapyong entered Maisan at age 25, lamenting the dark secular world and driven by a patriotic determination to save the people, and began building the pagodas. It is said he devoted himself to sincerity and prayer until his death at age 98. The numerous pagodas at Maisan Tapsa, including Cheonjitap, Obangtaps, Wolgwangtap, Ilgwangtap, Yaksatap, Jungangtaps, Wolgungtap, Yonggungtap, and Sinjangtap, each hold their own significance and function. These stone pagodas are not made by carving stones but by stacking natural stones neatly. Their heights range from 1 meter to 13.5 meters. The shapes are mostly columnar or conical, with various sizes. The largest are the pair of Cheonjitaps behind the Daeungjeon. Additionally, a giant cliff that captures attention is situated here, creating a unique atmosphere. Meanwhile, as it is within Maisan Provincial Park, it is also famous as a rest and sightseeing hiking course.

Maisan Provincial Park has convenient facilities including Maisan Mountain, San Yakcho Town and exhibition hall, Hong Sam Spa, and accommodation facilities like Hong Sam Ville. It is famous for various attractions including ecological resources such as natural monuments Cheongsil Bae tree and Julsacheol tree, and tourist hiking courses suitable for play and rest. Maisan consists of two peaks called Am Maisan Peak (687.4m) and Su Maisan Peak (681.1m), and about 10 smaller peaks, spanning the boundary between Danyang-ri, Jinan-eup and Dongchon-ri, Maryeong-myeon. Visible from any direction in Jinan-eup, Maisan has four different names depending on the season: In spring, the two peaks emerging through the mist look like twin sailboats, called Dotdaebong; in summer, the thick foliage resembles dragon horns, called Yonggakbong; in autumn, the maple-colored shape looks like horse ears, called Maibong; and in winter, with no snow accumulated, it looks like an ink-dipped brush tip, called Munpilbong. In Maisan, there is Eunsusa, where King Taejo of the Joseon Dynasty prayed for 100 days while returning from Seongsusan in Imsil-gun, and Tapsa, which has about 80 stone pagodas said to withstand strong winds and rain. In addition, the 3km entrance road is lined with cherry trees forming a tunnel, attracting tourists every year to see the cherry blossoms.