Palgongsan
Encyclopedia
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, lying on an outlier of the Taebaek range
Taebaek Mountains
The Taebaek Mountains are a mountain range in both North Korea and South Korea. They form the main ridge of the Korean peninsula.-Geography:...
. It stands on the border between Daegu
Daegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
metropolitan city and North Gyeongsang province (including the districts of Chilgok County
Chilgok County
Chilgok County is a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The seat of government is in Waegwan-eup. Famous people from the county include Joseon Dynasty military officer Shin Ryu. In 1978, Indong-Myeon was joined to Gumi and in 1981, Chilgok-Eup was joined to Daegu.-External links:*...
, Gunwi County
Gunwi County
Gunwi County is a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.-External links:*...
, Yeongcheon
Yeongcheon
Yeongcheon is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.Yeongcheon is located 350 km southeast of Seoul, in the southeast of North Gyeongsang Province...
, and Gyeongsan
Gyeongsan
Gyeongsan is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Its western border abuts the metropolitan city of Daegu, and much of Gyeongsan lies within the Daegu metropolitan area....
). Its peak is 1193 m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
.
The mountain is the site of a number of cultural and natural heritage sites. These include Buddhist shrines from the Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
period or later, including the large and active temple of Donghwasa
Donghwasa
Donghwasa, also Donghwa Temple, is a Buddhist temple of the Jogye Order in northern Daegu, South Korea. The temple is located on the slopes of Palgongsan, within the boundaries of Dohak-dong, Dong-gu, near Daegu's northern border. It is the seat of the 9th region of the Jogye Order. The name...
and the Gunwi Triad Budda Grotto (National Treasure 109). In addition, in 927
927
Year 927 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Chu State is founded by Ma Yin....
the Battle of Gong Mountain was fought between Hubaekje
Hubaekje
Hubaekje, or Later Baekje, was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Hugoguryeo and Silla. It was officially founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, and fell to Wanggeon's Goryeo army in 936. Its capital was at Jeonju, in present-day North Jeolla province...
and Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
forces on the mountain's southern slope.
Natural treasures include the standing stone of Gatbawi
Gatbawi
Gatbawi is a Buddhist statue in Daehan-ri, Wachon-myeon, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the Republic of Korea. It was made in the Unified Silla Kingdom era and is well known with the name of Gatbawi Buddha...
, so called from its resemblance to a traditional Korean horsehair hat, or gat.
The mountain, connected to downtown Daegu by bus, is a popular site for weekend outings from the city. Portions of the mountain were designated a provincial park
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
in 1980.