Maisan Stone Pagodas in Jinan: Going to Tapsa's Hand-Stacked Towers

Walking among about 80 hand-stacked towers at Tapsa

Two steep, rounded green mountain peaks rise under a cloudy sky behind a lamp post with globe lights, a blank signboard and tiled-roof buildings.

At Tapsa Temple on Maisan in Jinan, Jeonbuk, you walk among about 80 surviving stone pagodas, 1 m to 15 m tall. One man, Yi Gap-ryong, stacked them from uncut natural stones over 30-plus years starting around 1885. I judge a landmark by one thing: does it make me stop walking and just look up? These Maisan stone pagodas did, and I'm not a person who stops easily. Think of them as a crowd of very patient strangers, each one balanced on nothing but its own weight. My verdict up front: go, and bring good shoes.

Item	Detail
Name	Maisan (Horse Ear Mountain), Tapsa Temple area
Address	745 Dongchon-ri, Maryeong-myeon, Jinan-gun, Jeonbuk
Cherry blossom road	Free, open at all times, open year-round, parking available
Adult entry (Naver Place listing)	₩3,000 individual, ₩2,800 group
Middle/high school	₩2,000 individual, ₩1,800 group
Elementary school	₩1,000 individual
Satisfaction	Good views, easy parking, trail worth it

Who stacked them, and why does it matter?

Yi Gap-ryong moved to the foot of Maisan around 1885 to practice as a recluse. The story goes that he built 108 towers by himself over 30-plus years, and roughly 80 remain. They aren't cut blocks but natural stones piled one on another, so the sizes are uneven, from about 1 m to 15 m. Several have names, like Cheonjitap, Obangtap and Wolgwangtap, each with its own meaning.

Cone-shaped hand-stacked stone towers and a tiled-roof temple hall below a huge rock cliff, with steps, stone tiger statues and two visitors.

How do you get to Maisan Tapsa, and is parking easy?

Visitors walk a stone path among hand-stacked stone pagodas toward a tiled-roof temple hall beneath a huge sheer rock cliff.

The address is 745 Dongchon-ri, Maryeong-myeon, Jinan-gun, Jeonbuk. Parking is available, and the area's most-voted comments call it easy. I'm not going to describe a bus route I didn't ride. From the lot I walked toward the cliff, past a shop with a banner reading no drones, and up some stone steps.

What do you see from the rock wall to Cheonjitap and Eunsusa?

Tall rock cliff towers over a tile-roofed temple hall and cone-shaped hand-stacked stone pagodas, with visitors on stone steps and a tiger statue under a blue sky.

The first thing was the sky. It was cloudy at first, with two peaks standing up like horse ears over village roofs. Then the rock wall rose on my left, so tall it seemed to hide the sky. Down in the valley sat tile-roofed buildings and pointed towers, and the walls made them look small.

Stone-paved path with black railings winds past hand-stacked stone pagodas and a tile-roofed hall beneath a huge rock cliff in a green valley.

Then I followed the stone path along the railing, with slim towers lined up thickly beside it. Some stood in rows on both sides, with little stone animals out front. The sign at Cheonjitap gives its completion year as 1917, lists it as Jeonbuk Cultural Property No. 35, and says the 33 towers around it stand for the world of 33 heavens. I kept checking, politely, whether it would fall.

Hand-stacked stone pagodas stand before a tiled-roof hall with a 靈神閣 sign, beneath a steep conglomerate cliff with climbing ivy.

Further in is Eunsusa. A wooden sign says it is where the Goryeo general Yi Seong-gye prayed, dreaming of a dynasty. The spring water he drank was as clear as silver, hence the name. Climbing the steps, a round rock peak rose right behind the roof and loomed overhead.

Is the Amma-ibong climb worth it?

Two tall hand-stacked stone pagodas rise toward a blue sky above a white Korean sign titled Chun Ji stone Tower , set on a rock face.

Near the temple is a trail marker for Amma-ibong. It says 0.45 km to the summit, with two red-marked steep rock sections at a slope of 70 to 80 percent. Short, but steep, so brace yourself. Through the leaves you see a village, water, and ridge after ridge of mountains, and the summit stone reads 687.4 m. I found the view paid for the effort.

Two tall conical stone pagodas of hand-stacked rocks rise beside a black railing, with forested green mountains, a blue sky and a temple courtyard below.

When should you go, and is it crowded?

Visitors walk among rows of hand-stacked stone pagodas below a tall rocky cliff, with a tile-roofed hall and forested green mountains behind.

Cherry blossoms here are the latest in the country, thanks to the Jinan highland climate. A 2.5 km blossom road runs from Isanmyo to Tapsa, and on peak weekends tens of thousands come. Most comments call the place uncrowded, a few say crowded. My pick for peace is a regular day.

Green foliage frames a view down to a tiled-roof temple hall and a plaza with visitors, below a steep rock cliff, with small stacked stone towers lining the path.

What else is nearby?

Wooden signboard at Eunsusa temple with Korean text about its spring and a Taegeukjeon hall, framed by wooden posts and green foliage.

Tapyeongje pond reflects the peaks on still water. For a meal, Maisan Jayeon Bapsang is near. It is open 11:00 to 19:30 (a prep break 15:00 to 17:00 on weekdays) and known for duck bulgogi and black pork ssambap. I didn't eat there.

What I could not do

Looking up from stone steps and green shrubs at a traditional tile-roofed hall beneath a huge rounded rock peak against a deep blue sky.

I didn't visit in blossom season. Skip the summit if your knees complain, as those rock sections are steep.

Trail map sign titled 암마이봉 등산로 노선도 showing the route from 천왕문 to the summit, with red steep rock sections marked 70–80% slope.

Who is this trip for?

Through oak leaves, a view over forested green mountains, a small reservoir and a town in the valley, with a white cloud in the blue sky

It suits a day trip with a parent or friend who likes walking and photos, with the blossom road or a meal after. If you can't do stairs, the lower valley is still worth seeing.

Tall carved granite summit marker reading 687.4m on a rock base, with a stone cairn, green trees, a green rope fence and cloudy sky behind.

I went with my wife, and my first impression was of amazing scenery where Maisan and the stone towers blend together. What stayed with me most was that mysterious view, which made me feel the greatness of nature all over again. I'd like to go again, either on a rainy day or in the autumn foliage season. I'd recommend it to families.