Soyosan 588m

Why it is one of the 100 famous mountains

Selected in consideration of its designation as a National Tourist Destination in 1981 due to its high popularity among hikers and beautiful landscapes including Sangbaegundae, Habaegundae, and Jungbaegundae despite its small scale. It is famous for Wonhyo Falls, Cheongnyang Falls, Seonnyeotang Cliff, and autumn foliage, and is home to Jajaeam Hermitage, said to have been founded by Great Monk Wonhyo in 654 (the 1st year of King Muyeol of Silla).

About Soyosan

By British standards, Soyosan would not even qualify as a mountain, but merely a hill, as they consider elevations from 2,000 feet (609.6 m) and above to be mountains. However, people in this land of feng shui treated even an independent peak 50 m high as a mountain, saying that energy veins flow through it.

A place like Soyosan, where rocks jut out prominently, needs even less explanation. Furthermore, with its numerous waterfalls, plunge pools, and ponds, it was elevated to the status of a renowned mountain.

Wonhyo Falls, Cheongnyang Falls, and Seonnyeotang are its representative scenic spots. Even hiking the entire ridge shaped like an inverted C takes only 3 to 4 hours.

It is unlikely that Monk Wonhyo, who even gave up traveling to Tang China to study, came all the way here, but legends linger everywhere probably because the nearby Imjingang River was the border of Silla for about a hundred years. A temple would have been built in the mountains for front-line soldiers, and the sermons would generally have been from the Maitreya Ascending Sutra teaching that "upon death, one is reincarnated in the land of Maitreya," connecting it to Great Monk Wonhyo, who established that doctrine.

Located 44 km from Seoul and about 5 km northeast of Dongducheon City Hall, Soyosan is called the 'Little Geumgang of Gyeonggi-do' for its superb scenery.

Public transport

Take the Gyeongwon Line train and get off at Soyosan Station, or use the local bus running every 20 minutes from Uijeongbu Intercity Bus Terminal, or the direct bus to Jeongok running every 25 minutes.