- Address: 320-2, Jirisan-daero, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea
- Telephone of the park administration: +82 55 970 1000, +82 61 780 7700, +82 63 630 8900
- Height: 1915 m
- Relative height: 1695 m
In the territory of Chirisan National Park there is the highest peak of the East Korean mountains and the highest point of the mainland part of Korea is Chirisan Mountain, which is part of the eponymous mountain range.
Chirisan has several peaks, the largest of which, Cheonvanbon, reaches a height of 1915 m. The name of the peak is translated as "the top of the king of heaven". In addition, Chirsan is famous for its size: it is located on the territory of three provinces and five counties. The mountain is included in the Top 5 most famous mountains of Korea .
Nature
The park of Chirisan mountains impresses with its grandeur and magnificent scenery: here you can see many mountain peaks, waterfalls, amazingly beautiful valleys. On the territory of the park there is the Somchingan River, which is considered to be the cleanest in Korea. Up to an altitude of 1400 m there are deciduous forests, consisting mainly of oaks and ash trees. Above this mark, coniferous species predominate (pine, spruce, larch). You can see here and cultural plants: on the slopes grow tea and various medicinal herbs. The local flora is rich enough, and the fauna is not inferior to it:
- chipmunks;
- boars;
- raccoons;
- Himalayan (Asian) bears - according to recent studies, there are 20 of them.
Temples
On the slopes of Chirisan there are 7 Buddhist temples (and 3 more - at the foot, in the park), including the Tevons temple, which was closed for visits for more than a thousand years. Visitors to Chirisan can see 7 of the 307 National Treasures of Korea, as well as 26 regional values.
How to visit?
To climb the mountain, you should first get to the National Park Chirsan. From Seoul, you will have to fly to the city of Yeosu (direct flights fly 4 times a day, the road takes 55 minutes, in addition, there are flights with transfers, it is necessary to spend 2 hours 15 minutes on the way), and then go to the park by bus or by car. In the park, next to the temples of Hwaamsa, Cheoninsa, etc., there are paid parking.
Climbing uphill is prohibited from February 15 to May 15 and from November 1 to December 15, as fire danger is increased at this time. In addition, the climb may be banned due to severe weather conditions, so before planning the ascent this point needs to be clarified. The best time to visit is the end of May - the beginning of June and September-October.