The Nine Greatest Sacred Mountains of All Korea
(5 western & 4 eastern)
Western Korea:

Myohyang-san    묘향산
DPRK, Pyeongan Province, National Park,  1355m


The Bukhan-san Sub-Range
especially Samgak-san 삼각산 840m and Inwang-san
인왕산 388m, and also including An-san, Bugak-san,
Dobong-san, Sapye-san, Surak-san, Bulam-san, Acha-
san and Nam-san.   North and East of Seoul City.   
Some of these are in the Bukhan-san National Park,
others are Local Parks.


Gyeryong-san    계룡산
Daejeon & Gongju Cities, National Park,  845m


Jiri-san     지리산
Gurye County of South Jeolla Province;  Hadong,
Sancheong and Hamyang Counties of South
Gyeongsang Province; and Namwon City of North
Jeolla Province;    National Park,  Cheonhwang-bong
1915m,  Banya-bong 1733m & Nogo-dan 1507m



Halla-san    한라산
Jeju-do Province & Island, National Park, 1950m
Eastern Korea:

Baekdu-san   백두산
DPRK and China border, National Park, 2850m



Geumgang-san  금강산
DPRK Gangwon Province, National Park, 1908m   
Famous as the "Diamond Mountains"




Taebaek-san   태백산
Gangwon Province, Taebaek City,
Provincial Park,  1567m
(including Hambaek-san of Taebaek-shi, and Cheong-ok-san,
Guryong-san and Eungbong-san of Bonghwa & Uljin Counties)




Five Peaks of Gyeongju
경주오봉     including:
Nam-san aka Geum-o-san 466m,
Toham-san  745m,
Danseok-san  827m,
Seondo-san  381m,  and
Sogeumgang-san  179m
Gyeongju City (ancient capital of Korea), National Park
These 9 mountains are the ones I have judged to be the entire Korean nation's holiest, by the criteria
explained on this page and my 20 years of visiting them and studying this subject.  They break down in a
convenient and balanced split between 5 in the central and western regions and 4 in the eastern regions
(mostly, the Taebaek Range and its southern extension now dubbed the "Yeongnam Alps").  They are
listed here North-to-South.  Three mountains from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North
Korea) are listed, due to our lack of information about historical and current mountain-worship traditions
there; those six are labled "DPRK".  Click on the name to see my photos and discussion of that mountain
and its San-shin shrines.

Nine has long been one of the most sacred numbers in Korean traditional religions (being 3x3), and that is
why I have used it here instead of a Western-style "Top-10" or even 12 as I used in the List for South
Korea only.  See also my discussion of the Gu-san [nine sacred mountains of Korea's Seon Buddhism] for
further perspective.  There are several shrines and artworks extant in South Korea that depict nine sacred
mountains of the entire nation -- these lists can be different from mine.  A variety of lists of nine can be
made, for example by emphasizing Buddhist, Shamanic, historic or current-pilgrimage elements in the
criteria.  For example, one could easily replace the Gyeongju O-ak in the list below with Geumjeong-san,
Odae-san or perhaps even Palgong-san...
New!   Baekdu-daegan Trail Guidebook
"Hiking Korea’s Mountain Spine"
By Roger Shepherd and Andrew Douch,  with David A. Mason
is finally available for hikers and cultural-explorers!

Reviews, Interviews and Comments on the Guidebook