Sutasa Temple (수타사)

Gongjaksan Mountain (887 m), home to Sutasa Temple and named for its resemblance to a peacock proudly displaying its tail feathers, gives visitors a bird’s-eye-view of Hongcheon. From the bottom, Gongjaksan Mountain looks like a giant laying on his back, looking up to the sky. The mountain offers elegant azaleas in spring, beautiful fall foliage, majestic cliffs with unusual rocks, colonies of pine trees, and a serene snowscape in winter.<br><br> Sutasa Valley, stretching over 12 kilometers between Sutasa Temple and Nocheon-ri, is full of large ponds and broad bedrocks and is flanked by rocky cliffs and pine groves.<br><br> Located among the foothills, Sutasa Temple is an ancient temple built by Monk Wonhyo in AD 708. The temple boasts numerous cultural properties including the gabled roof of Daejeokgwangjeon, a bronze bell, a three-tiered pagoda, and Wolinseokbo, a biography of Buddha that has been designated as a National Treasure.