Binggye Valley

As one of the eight beauties of Gyeongbuk, Binggye Valley is called Bingsan because it has an ice hole and a cool air hole.  Binggye is the stream that flows around the mountain and the village by the mountain is called Binggye-ri.  

The wondrous Binggye Valley generates cool air to make ice in the middle of summer and hot steam in the middle of winter.  It is located at Seowon Village of Binggye-3-ri.  The Eight Scenic Points of Binggye are the pond, mill, cool air hole, Eojin Rock, pavilion, stone pagoda, ice hole, and Vertex of Buddha.  The 5-story Stone Pagoda inside the valley, designated as Treasure No. 327, is an 8.15m-high pagoda made of granite in the early Joseon Dynasty.  

The village is surrounded by high, rocky cliffs.  The rocks that rise in the middle of the stream were picked as one of the eight sceneries of Gyeongbuk on October 4, 1933.  The local people believe that the large writing of ¡°Binggyedong¡± on one of the largest rocks (10m in height and 20m in circumference) in the valley was done by General Yeo Song Yi who stopped by here during the Japanese Invasion of 1592.  A small stone monument reading, ¡°The 1st of the Eight Sceneries of Gyeongbuk,¡± is erected on another large rock next to that.  

Scenery 1: Ice Hole
This is a space beneath a rock shaped like a room to fit 4-5 people.
Every spring, this hold begins to generate cold air.  In the middle of summer, it freezes ice.  After fall, the ice melts.  In the middle of winter, warm air comes out of the hole.  

Scenery 2: Cool Air Hole
Cool air comes out of the small, yet deep gap between the rocks by the road in Dong-gu every summer.  In winter, warm air comes out instead.   
This phenomenon is found by almost every rock in this region.  

Scenery 3: Inam Rock
It is a large rock that is 1.2m in width and 2.4m in height.  It is sitting in front of the former site for Binggye Memorial Hall.  The sunlight forms a shadow shaped like ìÒ (generous) around noon.   

Scenery 4: Euigak Pavilion
During the Japanese Invasion of 1592, Eun Bo Yoon brought the tablets of Mojae and Hoijae to Mt. Juwang and protected them for seven years.  After the war, he placed the tablets at a memorial hall.  His faith was highly praised and this pavilion was erected along with a monument to cherish his devotion.

Scenery 5: Sudae (Water Mill)
There used to be a large water mill where people used the stream to mill the grains every day, but it no longer exists today.  Binggyejeongsa Temple of Beophwa Order was erected nearby to attract many believers.  

Scenery 6: Stone Pagoda  
It is a 5-story stone pagoda that was built in the late Shille Empire or early Goryeo Dynasty at the old site of Bingsansa Temple.  It is currently designated as Treasure No. 327.

Scenery 7: Vertex of Buddha
It is a ditch on top of Buljeong Peak.  The legend has it that this ditch was made by Buddha when he was fighting a dragon long time ago.  

Scenery 8: Yongchu (Pond)
There used to be a deep pond beneath the steep cliff of the valley, but it is almost filled today.  People say that the dragon which Buddha fought against hit its head here to create a large hole in the rock.