Saseongam Yaksajeon: Cliff Hermitage Views of Seomjingang

The best view at Saseongam is from Yaksajeon (also called Yuligwangjeon). It is the hall that seems to cling to a roughly 20 m cliff. Past its lotus-patterned railing you can see the Seomjingang, Gurye town and the distant Jirisan ridge. I judge a mountain temple by one thing: does it make me stop talking? This one did. The hall looks like a barnacle that decided to live on a rock face. I kept wondering who thought building it there was a good idea. The climb is short but steep, and I was a little out of breath. Was it worth it? Yes.

Item	Details
Name	Saseongam, Gurye (Oh-san mountain hermitage)
Entrance fee	Not recorded for my visit
Parking	Small upper lot, about 30 cars; Jukmari public lot below as a backup
Walk from the upper lot	About 5 minutes, steep uphill
Went with	My wife
Best for	Kids and families
Rating	5 out of 5

What is Saseongam, and where does the name come from?

Two hikers walk up a sloping stone path beside a tiled stone wall toward a red-pillared temple pavilion built against a forested cliff.

Saseongam is an old hermitage on Osan mountain in Gurye. It is said to have been founded in 544, in the 22nd year of King Seong of Baekje, by the monk Yeongi. It was first called Osanam. The name Saseongam comes from the four eminent monks who practiced here. My first thought on seeing it, honestly, was how anyone put a building in a spot like this.

Drive, village bus or walk: how do you get up?

Red-pillared Korean temple hall cantilevered from a rock cliff with red ivy, above a stone wall with a yellow banner about a mountain-god ritual.

We went on a weekday, when the shuttle bus wasn't running. So we drove up to the small upper lot near the hermitage entrance. It holds only about 30 cars, so it can fill up. On our visit there were plenty of empty spaces. If the lot is full or cars are restricted, park at the Jukmari public lot at the foot of the mountain. Then take the village bus. Walking up is also an option.

Red-pillared Korean temple pavilion with colorful eaves perched on a rocky, tree-covered cliff, with a carved Buddha relief on a boulder below.

Drive up and park (about 30 spaces).
If that lot is full or cars are restricted, park at the public lot in Jukmari, below.
From Jukmari, take the village bus up.
From there, walk the steep path to the hermitage, about 5 minutes.

Whether the bus runs, what it costs and whether cars can go up all depend on the day you visit, so ask on arrival.

What do you pass between the parking lot and the hermitage?

Red-pillared hermitage halls with colorful eaves perched on a mossy cliff above a tiled stone wall, with a Korean banner in the corner.

From the lot, the path rises steeply for about five minutes. A long stone wall topped with a tiled roof leads up, and at the top a red-pillared gate stands out against the gray sky. I followed the people ahead of me. I was a bit breathless, but I enjoyed the stone path and the steps between the rocks. Small signs along the way that someone looks after the place made me slow down without meaning to.

Red-pillared hall with tiled roofs and a balcony built against an ivy-covered cliff, beside a gravel yard and a tiled stone wall under a gray sky

Up top, the yard opens wide with the hall attached to the cliff on the right. The vines on the rock are a mix of green and red. A small shop sits right under the cliff. Around the area I looked at the wish rock, Doseongul cave, Jijangjeon and Sanwangjeon, all close together. I made a handful of wishes at the wish rock, figuring one might be granted.

Why does Yaksajeon stay in your head?

Red-pillared Korean temple hall with ornate painted eaves clinging to a rock cliff covered in red and green ivy, beside a tiled-roof shop.

From below, a few red pillars hold the hall up on the rock. The painted eaves and railing are surprisingly ornate. Inside is a standing Buddha carved into the rock wall, a maae yeorae ipsang. A legend says the monk Wonhyo carved it with his fingernail. Then I stepped out to the railing. Beyond the lotus pattern, the river bends under a bridge. Gurye town lies below, and the Jirisan ridge is layered behind in haze. I was surprised by the building first, then by the view.

Is the Osan summit view worth the extra climb?

Red-pillared Korean temple pavilion with colorful eaves perched on a rocky cliff covered in red ivy, with stone steps and a pine tree below

I'd skip the summit, or at least not expect much from it. You can go up to the Osan summit. For me, the view from Yaksajeon and the hermitage grounds was better than the one from the top. Through the branches you get only a faint look at the village and fields below. I didn't see the dawn sea of clouds, but I'm told that in the right weather it rolls in under the hermitage.

Stone steps lead up to a small Korean temple hall with a tiled roof beside a steep rock cliff covered in green and red ivy under a gray sky.

What does it cost to get up the mountain?

A moss-dotted stone bodhisattva statue with a halo sits among rows of red and gold heart-shaped prayer leaves, beside a carved bronze relief rock.

The posted fares I saw were ₩3,400 round trip on the village bus for adults and ₩2,800 for ages 13 and under. The taxi fare was ₩17,000. Prices and service can change, so treat these as a guide.

What I didn't get to try

A person seen from behind raises a hand in a peace sign inside a narrow, dark rock crevice, with bright daylight and a railing beyond.

I didn't ride the village bus or the shuttle, and I didn't walk up from the bottom. I didn't track the time.

Hazy mountains and a wide river with bridges seen from a hillside hermitage with red walls and dark tiled roofs, above a bamboo grove.

Who is Saseongam a good fit for?

A leafy tree branch with a few orange leaves frames a hazy river valley with farmland, town buildings and misty mountains below a gray sky.

I'd bring a family or kids here if you're already in Gurye. It's a short climb, not a hike, and my wife and I enjoyed it. It's a better stop than a long summit trek. If steep stairs wear you out fast, take them slowly and don't rush for the top.

Cliff hall, red-vined rock, a river bending toward Jirisan. I'd go back the next time I'm in Gurye, and I'd rate it 5 out of 5. If you're staying nearby, the hermitage is worth a short detour.