Soyang Dam and Temple

On Saturday, September 20 Jason and I decided to go to Soyang Dam and Temple. The original plan was to go to Seoul but I am *still* coughing and trying to get rid of this crazy cold so a day trip close by sounded good. The day was not sunny but because of that Jason got some really good pictures. Unfortunately my camera battery ran out of juice after not too long so some of the pictures that I will post in later blogs will be his photographs. For this entry they are mine. :D

Soyang Dam is about a 15 minute ride from Chuncheon. Jason and I took a taxi for convenience but there are buses available as well. When you get to the top of the dam the first thing you will notice is a waterfall with fish at the top. Why fish at the top? Who knows...? lol

I got a pretty good picture of Jason sitting in front of the said waterfall with fish at the top. Jason got several good pictures of me sitting in front of it. Go look at his blog kimchi-icecream and you can take a look. :)

You can walk around the top of the dam to some extent but you are not allowed to walk across it (hence the gate (I know it isn't closed but there is a guard to the right who would try to stop anyone who shouldn't enter)). The dam is obviously very high so you get a chance to see mountains in the background. The lake is very clear and if there were no ferries to take people to the temple driving by every 15 minutes or so the water might be perfectly still. Would make for an exceptional picture if that happens.

Around the walk-able part of the dam there are many pots with flowers in them. I took a fancy to these pinkish ones. I think they are interesting and unlike anything I had seen back home.

Jason and I saw this woman walking with three different purses. She just kept on walking. Not sure where she was going or what she was doing. Made for an interesting picture.

1988 Olympics monument.

If you go anywhere near a Buddhist temple in Korea you will see these small piles of stones. There is a significance that I need to look up. I know prayer is involved. It is always interesting to see the different kinds of piles people choose to make as well.

When you got off the ferry on the other side of the lake you then needed to hike approximately 3km to get up to the Buddhist temple. Jason and I stopped to take pictures on a regular basis so it took us about 90 minutes or so to get up there. Jason took loads of pictures at the temple (I will post some later, I promise). This view was just a little ways up from the ferry and as you can see it was a very nice view. The day was overcast and rainy but we both got some really amazing pictures.

The river had many mini waterfalls and one really big one. This is obviously not the big one.

This girl is sitting in the middle of the river. She is holding a snake which I have been told by my Korean co-teachers is a reincarnated man who was in love with her.

I asked what the story is and thanks to the internet and a translation by one of my co-workers at Seongwon Elementary I found this out:

Princess Shuni of Yuan of China and the Lovesick Snake

The princess and a 'common man' met each other and fell in love with one another. Because they were in love they chose to meet each other every night. The king found out about their meetings and had the common man killed. When the common man was killed a snake suddenly appeared. The people who witnessed this event said that the snake was the common man reincarnated.

One night the snake came into the princess's room and coiled around her tightly and would not allow her to move. The king could not hire anyone in China to get the snake to let go so he decided the best thing to do would be to have his daughter seen by the best Buddhist monk in the world. In order to have his daughter see the best monk he had her sent to Korea. The snake refused to let go for the entire journey. Once the princess arrived in Korea the monk was able to remove the snake and free the princess. The snake was sent away by the Buddhist monk and was struck by a bolt of lightening. The snake died instantly.

The princess now felt free but also very sad. She did love the common man who turned into a snake.

The king was so greatful to the monk who freed his daughter that he built a temple in Korea to show his gratitude.

The princess was so sad that the man she loved was dead that she prayed for him at the temple every day.

To get to Cheongpyeongsa temple, a temple that has existed for over 1,000 years since its construction, you pass by a three-story stone pagoda, Guseong waterfall, and a statue of princess Shuni of Yuan of China holding a snake.
http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/eng/