Okryongsa Camellia Forest, Gwangyang

On the southern slope of Baekgyesan in Gwangyang, a temple site with nothing left but foundation stones is ringed by more than 7,000 camellia trees. Tradition says they were planted by Doseon, the late-Silla monk famous for geomancy, to strengthen the weak energy of the ground when he built his temple. In early spring red flowers open among the glossy dark leaves, and fallen blossoms carpet the forest floor.

The temple where Doseon spent 35 years

Okryongsa stood on the south side of Baekgyesan (505 m), a spur of Baegunsan (1,218 m). It is said to have been founded in the early 8th century, in the Unified Silla period, and the National Preceptor Doseon lived here for 35 years, from 864 to 898, training hundreds of disciples before dying at the temple. Doseon is regarded as the father of Korean pungsu, the art of reading the land to judge the fortunes of a kingdom or a town.

The site has a colourful legend. It was once a large pond inhabited by nine dragons. Doseon drove them out; the last, a white dragon, refused to leave until he blinded it with his staff and made the water boil, after which he filled in the ground with charcoal and built the temple.

The temple burned down in the late Joseon period and was abandoned. Excavations uncovered building foundations, about 90 fragments of inscribed stone steles, and human remains and a coffin thought to be Doseon's. The site was designated a national Historic Site, Okryongsa Temple Site, in 1998.

A forest to complete the land

The camellia forest is said to have been planted to make up for the weakness of the land when the temple was built. Today more than 7,000 camellias over 100 years old form a broad grove around the temple site. Recognised as one of the best-preserved examples of the camellia groves that once surrounded temples in southern Korea, it became a Natural Monument in 2007. In fact the forest was first protected as a provincial monument of South Jeolla in 1974, lost that status in 1998, and nine years later was raised to national level. Another story says Doseon also laid out tea gardens around the temple for his disciples' training.

Wooden boardwalks and stone steps lead through the grove. The smooth grey camellia trunks twist and divide as they grow, so even outside the flowering season the forest is shadowy and atmospheric. Beyond the trees, the wide, sunny temple site opens up. Camellia flowers do not shed their petals one by one but drop whole, so in season the forest floor is strewn with intact red blooms.

Tripto tips

• When to go: the camellias are usually at their best from late February through March. Timing varies a little from year to year, so check local news from Gwangyang before you go. Mid-March, when whole blossoms drop and cover the paths, is especially striking.
• Time needed: around 1 hour to walk the forest trail and explore the temple site.
• Getting there: it lies in Chusan-ri, Okryong-myeon, about 9 km north of Gwangyang Public Bus Terminal. Buses are infrequent, so a car or taxi is easier. There is no admission fee.
• Combine with: in March the plum blossom at Gwangyang's Maehwa Village on the Seomjingang River flowers at around the same time, so you can see camellias and plum blossom on the same day.
• Good to know: slopes in the forest can be slippery with leaves and fallen flowers. Stay on the boardwalks and marked paths.