(Travel jeju)Sanbang Mt & Sanbang gul-sa: The lava dome with mysterious legend and first Buddhist monastery in Jeju

We had very sweet rain yesterday. I think every Jeju people would enjoy the rain because draught has been lasted for 2 months.
I was also very happy to see the rain. After rain I suddenly felt like heading to Sanbang Mt, with my new camera NX210.
When I got to Sanbang Mt, there are lots of teenagers at the entrance of Yongmeri coast line. And they seemed come to Jeju island for school trip from main land. They were just chatting and laughing. Some boys were running and jumping around. they might not realize how lucky they are because normally Youngmeri is closed for 3~4days a week due to big waves. and It is a Geo-park by UNESCO. Well, may be they don't care about that.

I decided to direct to Sanbang gul-sa. The way to Sanbang gul-sa was so quiet and tranquil.
There are 482 stairs on the way to Sanbang gul-sa. I like the stairs to Sanbang gul-sa but I prefer the old ones. The old ones were rough and dull though. However, they made more visually appealing and even feeling of walking was better.

Sanbang Mt is one of 3 great mountains in Jeju island. And rest two are Halla Mt, and Sungsan sun rise peak. There is some explanation about Sanbang Mt:
Sanbang Mt is a large lava dome, rising 395m above sea level. It is a lava dome which results form the slow effusion of very sticky lava from a volcanic vent. The stickiness of the lava prevents it from flowing far from the vent and made it to solidify quickly and creating a dome-like shape. Sanbang Mt lava dome is composed of lava columns about 800,000 years ago.

When it was growing there was a local explosion and collapse of the dome. Sanbang Mt has a significant value because lava dome is very rare in Korea and it makes beautiful scenery in the southwestern part of jeju island.

You can see Youngmeri(dragon head) coast and brother islets at the entrance of Sanbang Mt.
Youngmeri(dragon head) coast is registered as geo-park by UNESCO.

The story of the name of Dragon head coast is named because it look like a dragon going into the ocean with head up. Actually It really looks like a dragon jumping into the ocean.

According to the legend a giant dragon was heading to the china and the chinese emperer worried about that. So he sent a general to here and cut the tail of dragon and it couldn't head to the china any more.

        

      

Right under the Sanbanggul-sa, there is Tafoni which is deep cavities or hollows produced by cavernous weathering in the sides(including the undersides) of rock outcrops and boulders. They usually occur in groups. Individual hollows range in depth and diameter from a few centimetres to several meters. "Honeycomb" weathering is a common description for this pattern of parallel rows of smaller pits. The origin of tafoni is not well understood. The consensus is that they result from weathering along joints, fractures, and other lines of weakness, particularly from exposure to water. The hollows are thought to be enlarged by progressive flaking of the interior surfaces and granular disintegration, probably as a result of crystallisation of salt carried to the rock by wind or waves.
They has been eroded a lot and after tens years they will be gone.

     

Sanbag gul-sa is located in a natural cave. I don't know if it is a kind of Tafoni or not. However, it's so amazing to have this kind of natural cave in the middle of the lava rock.

Around 800years ago a buddhist monk named 'Hae-il' practiced spiritual discipline in here and entered nirvana. And Sanbang gul-sa is the first buddhist monastery in Jeju island. If you look around this monastery you can see a tree which rooted in the tree. I am alwyas amazed by vitality of nature. When you look up the ceiling water is dropping. According the legend  a lady named Sanbagduk-i who couldn't made her love in her life is dripping her tear.
The tear became medicine water. They say if you drink the water you can live 10 more years longer. Why don't you drink the water when you visit 'Sanbang gul-sa'.