Woraksan

Woraksan National Park was declared in 1984 in North Chungcheong province, in central South Korea, and covers some 288 km². Its name refers to the moon: tradition holds that the moon settles on the summit of Yeongbong before crossing the mountain.

The relief combines granite ridges and rock faces with wooded valleys, and its most characteristic scenic feature is its relationship with water: much of the park looks out over Lake Chungju, a large reservoir on the Han River whose surface reflects the mountains and which is travelled by boat. The ridge paths offer panoramas over that combination of water and rock.

The park preserves a historical heritage tied to the end of the kingdom of Silla and to the mountain passes that linked the centre of the peninsula. Among its features are the Buddhist sanctuary of Mireuksaji, with its great stone Buddha and the remains of a temple of the Goryeo period, and the Hanuljae pass, one of the historic routes between the northern and southern provinces. The wildlife includes the goral, a threatened wild goat that survives on the Korean crags, along with martens, flying squirrels and a varied forest birdlife.