Big and small islands spread across the sea off Yeosu | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Yeosu Hyangilam is a subsidiary temple of the 19th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and a tourist attraction visited by about one million people annually, as well as a prayer site dedicated to Avalokitesvara. Monk Wonhyo met Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva here and built Wontongam at the site. During the Joseon Sukjong era, Monk Inmuk named it Hyangilam. The temple features restored and reconstructed buildings including Wontongbojeon, Samseonggak, Gwaneumjeon, Yongwangjeon, the bell pavilion, and the Haesu Gwaneum statue, establishing its temple appearance. After a fire on December 20, 2009, that destroyed Daeungjeon (Wontongbojeon), the temple office (Yeongguam), and the bell pavilion, these were restored and reopened on May 6, 2012. It is called Hyangilam because of the spectacular sunrise over the southern sea horizon visible here, and also called Yeongguam due to the surrounding rocks shaped like a turtle's back.

During the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo, the sorcerer Shindon noticed that the character for Jeolla Province contained the character for 'king' under the character for 'person,' and there was a legend that the phoenix, the royal ancestor, entered and exited a place called Odongdo in the south. Fearing that a figure ruling the Goryeo dynasty would emerge from Jeolla Province, the phoenix's entry was blocked by cutting down the paulownia trees of Odongdo. Odongdo is a famous spot in Hallyeohaesang National Park and is like the face of the beautiful port city Yeosu. Odongdo Lighthouse, located at the top of Odongdo, first lit its light on May 12, 1952. The original tower was an 8.48m-high circular white reinforced concrete structure but was rebuilt in 2002 into a 27m-high white octagonal shape. Inside the tower is an 8-story spiral staircase structure, and an external elevator for viewing was installed so visitors can overlook Yeosu, Namhae, Hadong, and the South Sea at a glance. The second floor of the office building houses an exhibition room displaying materials about the lighthouse and the sea, providing visitors with unique sights. A large rotary prism lens lighthouse developed with domestic technology is installed, and its flashing light every 10 seconds can be seen from 46km away in the distant sea. The entire Odongdo island is made up of gently rolling hills. At the entrance are model turtle ships and panokseons, the 2012 Dongbaek Hall (World Expo Promotional Hall) built to bid for the Yeosu World Expo, and musical fountains. Along the southern coast are dramatic rock formations such as Sorawi, Byeongpung Rock, Jibung Rock, Elephant Rock, and Yonggul, creating stunning scenery. The path to Odongdo Lighthouse is a tunnel of dense camellia trees so lush that the sky is hidden; they burst into red flower buds around November, dazzling throughout the winter and peaking in March. The first lighting date is May 12, 1952, and the tower is a 27m-high white octagonal concrete structure. At the entrances to Yeosu Port and Gwangyang Port, paulownia and bamboo flourish, and the lighthouse is located at the island's summit, a place rich with the history of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, with a viewing elevator and a marine fisheries information center installed.

The national treasure Jinnamgwan is known as a sacred site of patriotic history, where Admiral Yi Sun-sin planned battles and issued military orders. During the Imjin War, this site served as the main base of the Jeolla Left Naval Command and the Samdo Naval Command. Originally, there was a pavilion called Jinhaeru. In 1599, Lee Si-eon, who succeeded Yi Sun-sin as the naval commander, built a large guesthouse with 75 rooms on the site of Jinhaeru, which had burned down during the Jeongyu War, and named it Jinnamgwan (鎭南館). After a fire in 1716, the building was reconstructed in 1718 by naval commander Lee Jae-myeon and remains until today. Jinnamgwan is a grand, single-story building with a hipped-and-gabled roof, measuring 15 rooms wide and 5 rooms deep, with a floor area of 748.39㎡, making it the largest existing single-story provincial government office building. Facilities include an exhibition hall where visitors can view relics related to Jinnamgwan’s history and the Imjin War. On the grounds are the Jeollanam-do Tangible Cultural Property Seokinsang statue and the two-story pavilion Manghaeru, rebuilt in April 1991 after being demolished during the Japanese occupation. This place offers beautiful scenic views including Yeosu’s sea, and nearby tourist attractions include Jasan Park, Odongdo, Dolsan Bridge, Chungminsa Shrine, and Manseongri Beach.

During the Imjin War, Chungmugong's mother, Lady Byeon, and Lady Bang, the wife, stayed in Songhyeon Village in Go-eumcheon (now Ungcheon-dong) for 5 years (1592–1597) to escape the war. From the Yeosu base, Chungmugong greeted them every morning and evening and visited whenever possible during naval battles. Artifacts used by his mother, such as a pot, washing board, mortar, and millstone, remain, along with Banyeolchaek, the shipyard armament handover document. In December 1973, a memorial stone for Lady Byeon was erected, and in 1990, Yeocheon City erected a monument for Ichung Mugong.