Photos of Danyang and Sobaeksan National Park, North Chungcheong Province, Korea

Along a bend in the Namhangang river in the north of Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong Province), Danyang is a lovely town with a fantastic aquarium in its Danuri Center. Scenic Dodamsambong - three stone peaks - rise out of the river and, across the bridge, is the limestone cave of Gosu Donggul, a complex of narrow grottoes, about 150,000 years old. There are great views from the observatory, high on the hill on the other side of the river.

Just east of Danyang is Sobaeksan National Park, featuring beautiful valleys and mountain ridges, with abundant wildlife and wildflowers: the Sobaeksan Royal Azalea Festival is held near Danyang-gun in early June every year. It was designated National Park in 1987 and has a total area of 322 km².

The spectacular temple complex of Guin-sa, wedged into a gorge in the Sobaek mountains, with steep, forested slopes on either side, was re-established by Sangwol Wongak in 1945, the headquarters of the Cheontae sect of Korean Buddhism. It is unique in that the wonderfully decorated structures are several stories tall. The original temple was burned down during the Korean War. The reconstruction of the first building was completed in 1966; the complex, which now incorporates over 50 buildings, is still expanding.