Mt. Maisan Provincial Park is located in Jinan-gun, Jeollabuk-do. During the Silla Dynasty, it was called Seodasan, during the Goryo Dynasty, Yongchulsan, and finally named Maisan during the Joseon Dynasty. Maisan is called by different names depending on the season. In the spring, it is called Dotdaebong, in the summer, Yonggakbong, in the fall, Maibong, and in the winter, Munpilbong.
Maisan foot-view taken from the elevated hill
"Foreigners on Tour", organized by KSNU, June 18, 2004
A total of 15 foreigners from China, Philippines and Romania attended the tour organized by the Kunsan National University-Student Affairs Office last June 18, 2004. The major itinerary of the tour was in Mai-san, where the participants enjoyed the mountain climbing activity. The group also visited Gyeonggijeon and World Cup Stadium in Jeonju City and Yong Dam in Muju-gun.
Buddish Temple (Tapsa) with the view of Mai-san (horse ears mountain)
There’s a myth
that’s been passed down through the generations regarding Mt. Maisan. Two
gods came down from the sky, had a child and lived on earth for a while, but
as they were going back up into the sky, a village woman saw them ascending,
and trapped them on Earth. They became the rock mountain. Even today, you
can see the father peak and the child peak, and the mother peak looking down
the other side. The pagodas atop of Mt. Maisan were built from native rocks
and tops of these towers look as sharp as nails. On the south side of the
mountain, it is said there were over 120 of these pagodas, but only about 80
exist today. There is also something very mysterious about these pagodas. No
matter how bad the weather, even during storms, they some how do not sway or
fall. Another interesting thing about Mt. Maisan are the icicles. If you put
water into a bowl during the winter, the water freezes into a pole reaching
for the sky. No one knows why or how this happens, but it makes Maisan just
that much more mysterious and interesting to visit.
Photo courtesy of Dana (a friend). Source of story: http://www.asia-planet.net/korea/jinan-gun.htm