Mihwangsa Temple

With the jagged white rock ridge of Dalmasan behind it, a wooden hall whose paint has almost entirely faded looks out over the West Sea. Mihwangsa in Haenam is the southernmost temple on the Korean mainland, loved for the view of sunset over the sea framed by those rocky peaks. Its revival after nearly a century of abandonment is part of the story too.

History: a stone ship, an empty temple and a revival

Temple records say it was founded in 749 by the monk Uijo. The founding legend is unusual: a stone ship arrived on the coast carrying sutras, Buddhist statues and a black rock; a black cow emerged from the rock, carried the scriptures and finally lay down, and the temple was built where it fell. The name is said to come from the cow's beautiful cry ("mi") and from the golden robes ("hwang") of a man who appeared in Uijo's dream.

The temple was rebuilt three times after the Japanese invasions of the 1590s, with a major repair of the main hall in 1754. About a century ago, however, monks travelling by sea with a temple music troupe to raise funds were drowned when their boat capsized, and the temple was largely forgotten. Around 1989 three monks moved in and rebuilt the ruined halls one by one; a decade later it had become known as "the beautiful temple at Land's End".

What to see

• Daeungbojeon (Treasure): a three-bay hall with a hipped-and-gabled roof and bare, weathered wood. Look closely at the front cornerstones, carved with crabs and turtles. The Sanskrit character "beom" is carved at the centre of the ceiling.
• Eungjindang (Treasure): the hall of the Sixteen Arhats, with 18th-century murals.
• Hanging scroll painting (Treasure): a large banner painted in 1727, displayed during major ceremonies.
• Stupa field: about 10 minutes along a forest path, with simple carvings of child monks and goblin faces on the stupas.
• Dosoram Hermitage: a tiny hermitage on Dosolbong, the top of Dalmasan. Burned in 1597 and left as a ruin, it was rebuilt in 2002.

Dalma Godo trail

Opened in November 2017, this 17.74 km trail circles Dalmasan from the temple, following old paths that once linked twelve hermitages. It was restored by hand rather than with machinery, so it is mostly earth and stone. It has four sections; the first (2.71 km) alone passes boulder fields with views over the islands.

Nearby

Mihwangsa was established as a branch of Daeheungsa, head temple of the Jogye Order's 22nd district and one of the temples on the UNESCO "Sansa" World Heritage list, so the two pair naturally. To the south are Ttangkkeut Village and the Ttangkkeut Observatory at the very tip of the mainland. On the hill behind the main hall stands a stone marked "Tomal" (土末), meaning "the end of the land".

Tripto tips

• Cost and hours: admission is listed as free, with the temple open at all times.
• Time needed: 1–1.5 hours for the temple and stupa field; add about an hour to climb towards the ridge. The full Dalma Godo is a day's walk.
• Best time: many visitors stay for sunset in the main courtyard. For Dosoram, April azaleas and May royal azaleas are the highlight.
• Templestay: the one-day programme can be booked up to two days before it starts.
• Getting there: the temple is in Songji-myeon, Haenam, not far from Ttangkkeut (Land's End) Village. Buses can be infrequent, so check times in a map app. It combines well with the Ttangkkeut Observatory and village.