Gayasan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gayasan
Korean name
Hangul:	가야산
Hanja:	伽倻山
Revised Romanization:	Gaya-san
McCune-Reischauer:	Kaya-san

Gayasan Mountain National Park (also spelled Kayasan Mountain National Park) covers an area of more than 80,000 square kilometers, and extends from the top of South Gyeongsang province to the bottom of North Gyeongsang province. The Sobaek Mountain range runs through this area, with the main peak standing at 1,430 meters above sea level. It was declared Scenic Site No. 5 by the Korean government in 1966, and turned into an official national park in 1972.

The main attractions are Haeinsa, a standing Buddha figure carved into sheer rock face, Yongmun Falls, and Hongnyudong Valley. There are 380 species of plants growing there as well as 100 species of birds and animals roaming free.

Its remoteness played a role in protecting it from destruction in the past, specifically the Japanese invasions of 1592-98, when much of the country was razed. Since that time, it is said that the area around the Gaya Mountains is free from the Three Disasters: fire, floods and wind.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] External links

• Gayasan Mountain National Park: [1] (operated in Korean and English)