The Seasons of Mt.Seoraksan

The Korean climate is remarkable for the distinctness of its four seasons, each producing landscapes of breathtaking beauty. Each season stirs the heart with a special mood that seems to flood through mountains and plains, rivers, hills, and meadows. Above all, it is in the mountains that the change of seasons is seen at its most spectacular.

In spring on Mt. Seoraksan, the yellowish green skirt of the mountain is covered with pink blossoms, while in summer every valley rings with the refreshing sound of running water as the streams meander through luxuriant green foliage. In autumn, the golden leaves create a riot of color, and in winter, all is blanketed with silver snow.

Third in height within South Korea after Mt. Hallasan and Mt. Jirisan, Mt. Seoraksan is known as the Second Diamond Mountains because its beautiful setting is said to rival the famous Diamond Mountains of North Korea. Mt. Seoraksan stands at the northern tip of the Taebaek Mountain Range, and merges into other mountains to the west, while to the east beckons the sea.

The 15th-century Augmented Survey of the Geography of Korea reports that the name Seorak or "Snowy Peak" was given because the snow that began to cover Mt. Seoraksan during the autumn harvest festival would not melt until the following summer solstice. Another account indicates the name is derived from the idea that the summit was covered with snow for so long that the rocks themselves became snow white. The mountain is also known as Seolsan or Seolbongsan,implying a "Sacred White-Capped Mountain." With the highest peak, Daecheong-bong, as a dividing point, the eastern part of Mt. Seoraksan is known as "Outer Seorak" and the western part as "Inner Seorak" If Inner Seorak shows an elegant, feminine beauty, Outer Seorak is more masculine in its precipitous .

slopes and fantastically shaped outcrops. Besides Buddhist temples and hermitages of historical importance, Mt. Seoraksan is abundantly provided with recreational facilities including ski resorts and beach resorts, and in 1970 it was designated a National Park.

Comprising Southern Seorak as well as Inner and Outer Seorak, the Mt. Seoraksan National Park attracts a year-round stream of visitors from Korea and abroad who come to enjoy the stirring harmony of its majestic peaks and pristine valleys, its snug temples and hermitages, and its weird wind-sculpted boulders.