Temples of the Akyang Valley
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in the Far-South (Hadong County, below Samshin-bong) Sector of Jiri-san
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All three of these small temples are found in Toji-
myeon District's Waegok-ri [Outside Valley Village]
beside the long valley-road running up from National
Highway 19 to Yeongok-sa Temple and Pia-gol Valley.
Hansan-sa [Big Mountain Temple] displays
several unique Korean-religion icons. On an altar in
the Main Hall (above) a plastic statue of the San-shin is
central, in front of a Sakyamuni Buddha painting, and
flanked by Yong-wang and a gold-plastic Cheseok
Buddha holding seven small statues of sages
representing the Chil-seong. The San-shin painting
(right) is quite cartoonish but with several interesting
traditional motifs; four dongja boys being shown is
exceptional. It has unfortunately been badly damaged
by mold. In an outdoor shrine built with cement over
boulders (below), several granite statues of mysterious
shamanic identity are enshrined in front of sacred texts.
There are at least two other small temples at Jiri-san
named Hansan-sa, and they are both located in the
Akyang-myeon Valley just 10 km east of this one.
Bullak-sa is another small modern temple there, with the
above fine San-shin painting -- he holds a natural-leaf-fan, a
rare motif. The Shin-jung (left) found next to it in that
Sanshin-gak shrine is quite unusual in its placement of the
characters; Yong-wang & San-shin are found at the center,
with a swordsman in-between (below); San-shin's "official"
hat is quite rare, and he holds both staff/gourd & bullocho.