Camellia Forest of Okryongsan Mountain, Gwangyang

It is located around the Okryongsa Temple Site at a point 7 km south of Baegunsan Mountain. Okryongsa Temple is a thousand-year Buddhist sacred site that holds a very important place in Korean Buddhist history, as the outstanding eminent monk of the late Unified Silla period and master of Korean feng shui, Seongak Guksa Doseon, stayed there for 35 years, taught hundreds of disciples, and passed away there. Currently, the Okryongsa Temple Site is located in Chusan-ri, Okryong-myeon, and it is said that the place name 'Okryong' originates from Doseon's pen name, 'Okryongja'. Baegyesan Mountain (505.8 m), which embraces the Okryongsa Temple Site, is a modest mountain formed by a ridge extending from the main mountain Baegunsan (1,218 m), and is located in the central part of Baegunsan. Okryongsa Temple was a small hermitage at the end of Silla, and Doseon Guksa renovated it in 864 and resided there; as hundreds of monks flocked to hear his sermons and a branch sect called the 'Okryongsa faction' was formed, it is said that Unamsa Temple was additionally built nearby to accommodate the influx of people.

옥룡사는 몇 차례의 화재에도 불구하고 꾸준히 사세를 이어 오다가 1878년 화재로 소실된 후 폐찰되었으며 현재 서 있는 대웅전은 1969년에 건립되었다. 옥룡사지에는 도선국사와 수제자인 통진 대사의 비와 탑이 세워져있었으나 1920년경에 모두 없어져 버리고 비문만이 탁본되어 ‘동문선’ 등에 전해온다. 옥룡사지 주변에는 도선국사가 땅의 기운을 보강하기 위해 심었다는 것으로 전해오는 동백나무 7천여본이 7㏊에 거쳐 울창한 동백 숲을 이루고 있다. 험난한 역사에 휘말려 절은 흔적도 없이 사라졌지만 이 동백들만이 그 뿌리를 견고히 내려 천년의 역사를 자랑하고 있다. 1974년 9월 24일 전라남도 기념물(광양 백계산 동백림)로 지정되었다가 2007년 12월 17일 천연기념물로 변경되었다.

* Current Status
It is a natural forest on the southern side of a mountain at 403 m above sea level, and its distribution area reaches about 7 ha. The trunks of the camellia trees include old trees reaching 1.8 m, the average height is 5-6 m, and there are 6,342 camellia trees.

Details

Parking fee

Free