In the fall, CBT reporters visited Songni Mountain National Park to experience the fall!

  CBT reporters visited Mount Songni. Mt. Songni is a national park located in Boeun-gun, Chungbuk and Sangju-si, Gyeongbuk. Mt. Songni is one of the most famous mountains in Korea. Its name is derived from an expression of renouncing the world. It was designated as Korea’s seventh national park in 1970. Its tallest peak, Cheonwangbong, is 1,058 meters high. Visitors can see many impressive things at Mt. Songni. Mainly, it is interesting to look at the types of giant rocks created by the changes that took place during the Cretaceous Era. When hikers climb to the top of Songni Mountain and look at the magnificent natural scenery, they will feel overwhelmed. Reporters decided to go to Songni Mountain National Park near Cheongju after deciding to see the fall foliage. They used public transportation to visit Mt. Songni. They arrived after using a local bus to go to the Songni Mountain Terminal, but there were already many hikers and visitors. Feeling the fall approaching, many people from all over the country had gathered to see the fall foliage.

Mt. Songni

  When the reporters got off at the Songni Mountain Terminal, large crowds of people on Songni Traditional Food Street welcomed them. They walked by the stores selling delicious foods and headed to Beopju Temple. There are various hiking courses to reach the top of Mt. Songni. As they climbed the mountain, watching the foliage, they felt the autumn approaching. They climbed the mountain a little more and reached Osong Falls. The cool waters calmed their minds. They finally reached the peak of Mount Songni, Cheonwang Peak. They were proud and refreshed when they reached the top without a single member left behind. Lim Chae-won, a reporter, said, “I had no chance to climb a mountain because I was attending school on a regular basis. When I heard that I was going to Songni Mountain, I already knew of its popularity. Then, when I came to the top of the mountain, I thought it was more meaningful to be with the other reporters than to climb the mountain alone.” After reaching the peak, the reporters headed for Beopju Temple.

Beopju Temple



  Beopju Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Boeun-gun, Chungbuk. It was named Beopju Temple during the reign of King Jinheung of Silla. After that, it was steadily promoted. When the reporters got there, there was an admission fee of 4,000 won per adult. Upon entering the temple, the most noticeable thing was the gilt-bronze Maitreya Buddha. It was huge in size and gold, so the reporters could easily see where the temple was. Also, the 55th National Treasure of Korea, Palsangjeon Hall, made the reporters sense the palpable history of the temple. The reporters could see hikers visiting the temple to make their wishes. CBT reporters were praying for the upcoming mid-term exams and for a successful CBT. Nam Min-woo, the chief editor, said, “It was a good opportunity for us to make a wish. I made a wish for our newspaper to run well and that all the reporters would be satisfied with their hard work. Moreover, I wished everything I wanted would go well. Above all, it was more meaningful for me to share my wishes with the reporters than to make the wishes.”

Temple Stay



  Beopju Temple runs a two-day temple stay program. A temple stay refers to staying in a temple in a mountain and living with the monks who live there. Many people can focus and seek peace of mind through their stay at a temple. Also, the reporters had fun listening to the monks’ stories and experiencing their lives directly. The theme of the temple stay was ‘All is well.’ The purpose was to learn how to comfort people by respecting themselves and building a loving heart. Lim Chae-won, who experienced a temple stay, said, “Before sunrise in the morning, I got up, did some light exercise, listened to the good words of the monk and lived in a temple. It was very awkward and difficult at first, but as I lived in a disconnected environment from society, I had more time to think. It was an excellent time to look back on how I had lived and learn about myself more. In the last hours of the temple stay, I wrote a letter about how the temple stay was, and I finished it by writing a letter to myself. Writing a letter to myself, I felt like I had time to talk to myself, who had been too busy before. I felt healthy because I lived in a temple surrounded by nature and ate healthy meals.”

Sejo-gil

  Sejo was a king who had a deep bond with Mount Songni. When the king suffered from work, he visited Songni Mountain to relieve his fatigue and stress. To pay a tribute to his charitable deeds, the road was named Sejo-gil. Hikers can see the lake as they walk through the fields and trees beside the road. When the reporters saw the sunlight in the lake, they could not just pass by. They looked at the lake and speculated that King Sejo might have liked the mountain. When they saw the bathhouse where the king’s skin disease got better after taking a bath, they could see again how clear the waters of Songni Mountain were.
  After taking a walk along Sejo-gil, the reporters were able to visit Jeongipum Pine Tree on the way back to the bus terminal. When King Sejo traveled to this mountain, the branches of the tree moved smoothly, so the king gave the pine tree a government position, which was second level, so it was called Jeongipum Pine Tree. However, a few years ago, heavy snow forced one side of the tree to be cut off, so the tree was not as beautiful as it once was. Leaving Mt. Songni, the reporters   had no time to stop to enjoy the tree, which had lost its old grace.
  The reporters came out of the temple with peaceful minds, and on their way down to the terminal, they ate delicious sanchae bibimbap. The sweltering summer had passed. Mountain climbers could enjoy hiking while watching the fall foliage. In Beopju Temple, visitors explore the beauty of Korea’s tradition and have a valuable time at a temple stay. Before this fall ends, the CBT recommends readers to go to Mt. Songni where they can feel nature and the beauty of Korea!

By Lim Chae-won | cw39@cbnu.ac.kr
By Nam Min-woo | mw38@cbnu.ac.kr