Seoksangam Hermitage (Gochang)

About this place

Seoksangam is a hermitage of Seonunsa Temple, founded alongside Seonunsa during the Baekje era according to records, and later restored by the monk Hakcheol in the 6th year of King Hyeonjong (1665). It is a place of ascetic practice for monks on Seonunsan Mountain. The name of the hermitage comes from a wide, flat rock about 30 meters west of the temple that resembles a platform or table. The main hall was recently built and enshrines a seated bodhisattva statue carved from jade. Behind the bodhisattva statue is the main altar painting created in the 30th year of King Yeongjo (1765), flanked by a Chilseong painting, a Jijang painting, and a Sinjung painting, all made in the same year. Currently only the main hall and Chilseong pavilion remain; four building foundations in the surrounding area indicate that the original complex was once quite large. Unlike the imposing and grandly equipped main temple Seonunsa, Seoksangam is small yet charming, exuding a simple and serene atmosphere. Although it lacks large pavilions or nationally treasured Buddhist images, the natural environment and the ambiance of the space make it an attractive destination.