If I were to think of Seoraksan National Park, I would imagine the yellow color of its mountains illuminated by the evening sunset, or the golden tones of autumn that seem to light up the forests with a warm and melancholic glow. A landscape that seems to move slowly under the romantic notes of Ryuichi Sakamoto, as if among the trees the melodies of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and Amore were echoing. Seoraksan is a wooded and silent place, where getting lost would not be confusion but a return to the deepest nature.
Here the wind crosses the mountains like distant music and the silence of the forest almost becomes a dialogue with the soul.
Walking along its trails means entering a suspended space, where time slows down and every color, every rock and every leaf seem to tell a story as ancient as the earth itself; it means entering an almost mystical landscape: rocks sculpted by the wind, clear streams, hidden waterfalls and autumn trees with warm and spectacular colors.
Seoraksan National Park is one of the most spectacular natural places in South Korea. Located in Gangwon Province, this national park is famous for its jagged mountains, colorful forests and ancient temples immersed in nature.
An iconic landscape of Korea
In the northeast of South Korea, in Gangwon Province, lies one of the most spectacular natural landscapes of the country: Seoraksan National Park. This majestic mountain range belongs to the Taebaek Mountains, a long ridge that runs along the eastern part of the Korean peninsula. The name Seoraksan literally means “snow mountain,” because its peaks remain covered with snow longer than other mountains in Korea. The national park is famous for its jagged granite peaks, for the dense forests that change color with the seasons and for the numerous Buddhist temples immersed in nature.
In 1982 this area was recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, thanks to its biodiversity and its unique landscape value.
Symbolic places of Seoraksan
Some of the most famous points of the park are:
Ulsanbawi Rock – a gigantic rock formation that dominates the landscape
Sinheungsa Temple – an ancient Buddhist temple with a large bronze statue of Buddha
Biryong Falls – one of the most suggestive waterfalls in the park
Sinheungsa Temple
At the foot of the mountains stands the ancient Sinheungsa Temple, one of the most important Buddhist temples in the region. Here rises the famous statue of the Great Unification Buddha, a gigantic bronze figure that seems to guard the entire valley. The temple, surrounded by forests and mountains, offers an atmosphere of great peace and spirituality.
The most spectacular moment: autumn
Seoraksan is famous throughout South Korea for its autumn foliage.
Between the end of September and October the mountains transform into a natural palette of red, gold and orange. This spectacle attracts thousands of visitors and photographers who come from all over the country to admire one of the most suggestive landscapes in Asia.
A place where nature and silence meet
Seoraksan is not only a tourist destination. It is a place where nature, spirituality and silence coexist in perfect balance. The trails that cross the mountains invite visitors to slow down, to listen to the wind among the trees and to the sound of water flowing among the rocks. Visiting this park means discovering a more authentic and wild Korea, far from the big cities and closer to the contemplative dimension of nature.
A cinematic place
Thanks to its spectacular panoramas, Seoraksan is often used as a location for films, television programs and documentaries about Korean nature. Its trails, immersed in the silence of the mountains, offer an experience that feels almost cinematic.
