- published: 10 Feb 2015
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Jirisan is a mountain in the southern region of South Korea. It is often considered one of the three most important mountains in South Korea (the mainland highest point), with Hallasan and Seoraksan being the other two.
The mountain rises to 1915 metres above sea level and is located in a designated national park of the same name. Jirisan National Park spans three provinces: North, South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang and is the largest in Korea. The largest proportion of the national park is in the province of South Gyeongsang. The highest peak of the mountain, Cheonhwangbong is also located in this province. Another well-known peak is Samshin-bong (Three Spirits Peak).
Jirisan is considered the southern end of the Sobaek mountain range, and therefore also the southern end of the Baekdudaegan mountain range, the "spine" of the Korean Peninsula incorporating the Sobaek mountain range and most of the Taebaek mountain range.
There are seven Buddhist temples on Jirisan that are considered major Buddhist temples. Hwaeomsa is the largest and best-known temple among these, and contains a number of national treasures (mostly stone artworks from about 600–900 CE). The mountain is also home to the Cheonghak-dong (Azure Crane Village) alpine valley, which includes the Samseonggung (Three Sages Palace), which is a recently-developed site to celebrate one of Korea's foundation myths.