Photos of Chungju and Woraksan National Park, North Chungcheong Province, Korea

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Chungju and Woraksan National Park, North Chungcheong Province

Chungju is the second-largest city of Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong Province). It is noted for its annual October martial arts festival; it is also the hometown of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. It is a handy transport hub for various points in the mountains of central Korea.

Town of Chungju
 
Street in Suanbo
 
Pheasant restaurant
 
Warm foot bath
 
Fountain in Suanbo
 
View from Palgakjeong
 
Stone pagoda
 
Stone lantern
 
Buddha statue, Mireuksaji
 
Buddha statue, Mireuksaji
 
New temple, Mireuk-ri
 
Travel Station of Mireuk-ri
 
View from Daegwang-sa
 
Old temple Daegwang-sa
 
Buddha's head of Mireuk-ri
 
Three-storey Stone Pagoda
 
Deokjusa Temple
 
View from Deokjusa
 
View from the temple
 
Upper-Deokjusa temple
 
Rock-carved Buddha
 
Rock-carved Buddha
 
Along the river
 
Along the river
 

One of those places is the small spa resort town of Suanbo, noted for the curative features of its mineral-rich, alkaline waters at a constant temperature of 53°C. Nearby is Mireuksaji, a small Buddhist temple built in the late Shilla or early Goryeo period. It features an ancient standing stone Buddha that was the main image of Sakyamuni and once part of the cave-styled main hall.

It is part of Woraksan National Park, named after its 1,094-metre mountain straddling the border between the provinces of Chungcheongbuk-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do. The Woraksan Mountains are filled with valleys and beautiful waterfalls. There are ancient Buddhist sites, like Deokjusa Temple, possibly established by Princess Deokju, the last princess of the Silla Kingdom, in 586 CE and the Jecheon rock-carved standing Buddha, presumed to have been made during the time of the Goryeo Dynasty (918 - 1392).