Hyangiram Hermitage

Climb the steps and the path suddenly disappears between giant boulders. Squeeze through the gap and you come out among halls clinging to the cliff, with the South Sea spread out below. Hyangiram, whose name means "hermitage facing the sun", sits on the cliffs of Geumosan at the southern tip of Dolsando Island in Yeosu, looking straight out at the horizon.

History: from Wontongam to Hyangiram

Tradition says the monk Wonhyo met the Bodhisattva of Compassion here in 644 and built a small hermitage called Wontongam. After it burned during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s, the monk Inmuk rebuilt it on its present site in 1715, during the reign of King Sukjong, and named it Hyangiram after the sunrise over the sea. Because the rocks around it are cracked like a tortoise shell, it is also called Yeongguam, "tortoise hermitage".

On 20 December 2009 a fire of unknown cause destroyed the main hall, the office and the bell pavilion; they were rebuilt and rededicated in May 2012. The buildings are new, but the rocks and forest the temple leans on are unchanged. The New Year sunrise festival has been held here since 1996. Hyangiram counts as one of Korea's four great prayer sites of Avalokitesvara, with Hongnyeonam at Naksansa, Boriam on Namhae and Bomunsa on Ganghwa, and in 2022 the surrounding area was designated a Scenic Site.

What to see

• Haetalmun gates: narrow passages formed where boulders lean against each other. The path threads through them several times, so the climb is half the experience.
• Wontongbojeon and Gwaneumjeon: halls stacked on narrow ledges above the sea.
• Tortoise rocks: the "o" in Geumosan means a giant turtle. The hexagonal cracks in the rock look like a tortoise shell, and the stone turtles placed around the temple echo the same idea.
• Camellia forest: camellias cover the slope, so from winter into early spring you walk on paths strewn with red blossoms.

Tripto tips

• Sunrise: the Hyangiram Sunrise Festival takes place every year from 31 December to 1 January. Roads and car parks jam before dawn, so set off early. On ordinary clear days, going up before sunrise means few people.
• Visiting: admission is free; the grounds are open roughly 05:00–19:00.
• The climb: steep steps and slopes lead up from the car park and shop street. Allow 20–30 minutes and wear comfortable shoes.
• Parking: for cars, the first hour is free, then KRW 200 per 10 minutes, up to KRW 5,000 a day.
• Temple stay: both relaxed and programme-based temple stays are offered; check the Hyangiram website for dates.
• Hiking: a separate trail near the temple entrance climbs to the summit of Geumosan, from where you look down on the hermitage.

Nearby

• Bangjukpo Beach: a small beach on the way to Hyangiram, shaded by pines.
• Dolsan Bridge and the Yeosu Maritime Cable Car: easy stops on the way back to central Yeosu.
• Geumodo Island: known for its clifftop Bireong trail, reached by boat from Dolsando.