Hyangiram Hermitage in Yeosu | A Remarkable Seaside Temple with 7 Unique Passageways

You’ll have to ascend steep stone staircases and wind through narrow pathways under huge slabs of rock to reach Hyangiram Hermitage in Yeosu, but it’s so worth it.

Hyangiram Hermitage in Yeosu is simply stunning!

This is, without a doubt, one of the most unique and inspiring of the 900 Buddhist temples in Korea.

Geomosan Hyangiram Hermitage Quick Guide

The symbol of Hyangiram Hermitage is the turtle, and you’ll see likenesses of these hard-shelled animals all over the temple. Look out for sculptures, artwork, and turtle shaped rocks as you explore.

*For those of you that are curious, the other hermitages are: Hongyeonam in Naksan, Boriam on Geumsan, and Bomunam on Ganghwa Island.

History of Hyangiram Hermitage

Monks have meditated at this Buddhist Hermitage by the sea as far back as 644AD. It was called Wontongam then, established by the renowned Buddhist monk Wonhyo during the Baekje Dynasty.

Monks have meditated at Hyangiram Hermitage since 644AD

It was renamed Geumoam Hermitage in 958AD by Monk Yunpil during the Goryeo Dynasty, and finally Hyangiram Hermitage in 1715, during the Joseon Dynasty.

During the Imjin War from 1592-1598, the temple was used as a base camp for Buddhist monks helping Admiral Yi Sun-Sin during the Japanese invasion.

It’s a joy to discover the temple’s buildings.

Several of the temple complex’s buildings were badly damaged by fire in 2009, but they’ve all been beautifully reconstructed. The buildings of the temple complex are spread out, and it’s a joy to discover them one by one through rocky passageways, up and down various stone staircases, and through tunnels.

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Best time to Visit Hyangiram Hermitage

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Hyangiram Hermitage in Yeosu a couple of times – once at the beginning of April and once in mid-November.

During autumn in Korea, the towering trees and gorgeous fall foliage render the landscape simply extraordinary. It’s an unforgettable experience to walk up Geumosan Mountain surrounded by nature this incredible.

Simply stunning!

Spring is also a super popular time to visit because of the forests of camellia trees on Mount Geumo, and in nearby Impo Village. During this time, the camellia blossoms colour the entire area a vivid red.

If you happen to visit around Buddha’s birthday (April or May, depending on the Lunar Calendar), you’ll be treated to the sight of Hyangiram Hermitage and its hiking trails decorated with colourful lanterns.

Lanterns at Hyangiram Hermitage in spring.

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Yeosu Hyangiram Sunrise Festival | 여수향일암일출제

Festival Dates: December 31st, 2024 – January 1st, 2025

While Hyangiram Hermitage is undoubtedly one of my favourite places to visit in Korea’s autumn, I’d love to make the trip for New Year’s Eve too.

Why, you may ask?

Homigot in Pohang is another popular place to watch the sunrise © Kim Jiho, Photo Korea

Well, every year at the dawn of a new year, thousands of people are lined up on coasts or high mountains in the bitter cold, making wishes and waiting for the first sunrise of the year. Locals believe that wishes made while witnessing the first sunrise of the year, are the most powerful!

Since Hyangiram actually means “hermitage facing the sun,” its annual Sunrise Festival celebrates that fact. This must be an awe-inspiring place to take in the first sunrise of a new year, as it peeks over the horizon and lights up the sea.

How to Get to Hyangiram Hermitage

Address: 60, Hyangiram-ro, Dolsan-eup, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do | 전남 여수시 돌산읍 향일암로 60 (산읍 율림리 산 7)

Hyangiram is located in Yeosu on the southeastern tip of Dolsan Island in Dadohaehaesang National Park. This is the largest national park in the country, spanning over 2,300 square kilometres and seven coastal areas in the South and West Seas.

You can enjoy spectacular views from Hyangiram Hermitage on Geumosan Mountain.

There is no subway that runs to Hyangiram Hermitage, so your options are to drive independently, take a local bus, join a city tour, or hire a taxi.

However, these options only get you as far as the admission office. The temple itself is located up in the mountains on a rocky cliff. From the entrance, you have 2 choices to get to the temple itself – a more gradual winding road, or a a shorter, but fairly vertical hike up a series of steep staircases.

There are a lot of stairs, but also gorgeous views on the way up to Hyangiram Hermitage.

If you have it in you physically, I really recommend that you choose the stairs. It’s steep, but not overly long, and my 5 year old daughter managed it no problem. You’ll be richly rewarded with incredible views, statues, and natural scenery along the way.

By car or taxi

It’s easiest and fastest to get to Hyangiram Hermitage by car, taking around 45 minutes from the Yeosu Bus Terminal. It’s a pretty drive with little traffic, but the road winds back and forth quite a bit (for those of you prone to carsickness). Check rental cars rates here.

Check out the stunning paintwork on Hyangiram Hermitage.

I suggest downloading an app like Naver or Kakao Maps – both of which provide information in english. Simply type Hyangiram Hermitage in as your final destination and you’ll be provided with the fastest route for getting there.

If you have trouble finding it in english, you can try typing it in hangul instead – 향일암 – or copy and paste the address information I’ve included at the top of this section.

It’s easiest to get to Hyangiram by car or taxi.

You can take a taxi to Hyangiram if you don’t have your own transport. It should cost less than 40,000 won each direction from the Yeosu Bus Terminal. Be sure to arrange your return journey if you take a taxi, because it could be a little difficult to hail one near the temple.

Using Public Transit to get to Hyangiram Hermitage

If you don’t have your own car, you can take the public bus, but it takes significantly longer than driving. The bus stop for Hyangiram Hermitage is called Impo (임포 향일암).

You can watch both sunset and sunrise from Hyangiram Temple.

From Yeosu Bus Terminal, you can catch green buses number 116 or 111. Both take around 2 hours to reach the temple. You can also take blue bus number 113, which takes around 75 minutes to reach Hyangiram Temple.

If you’re staying in an alternative location, it’s best to map your route in advance on Naver or Kakao maps, with your exact starting point. It’ll save you a ton of time and heaps of potential confusion.

On a Yeosu City Tour

If you’d like to tour other parts of Yeosu, you can take the Yeosu Romantic Bus Tour Course 1. It departs from Yeosu Expo Station at 10:30AM, and makes stops at Odongdo Island, Jinnamgwan, Hyangiram Hermitage, and more.

The Yeosu City Tour also makes a stop at Odongo Island.

It takes around 7.5 hours to fully complete the course. The cost for transport (not including admissions and food) is 9,000 won. It’s best to reserve in advance to ensure your spot, especially on weekends or holidays. You can check out all the details here.

READ NEXT: Bongeunsa Temple | The 1,200 Year old Temple where Ancient and Modern Meet in Seoul

Where to Stay in Yeosu

While there isn’t anywhere to stay that’s really close to Hyangiram Hermitage, it’s best to stay somewhere on Dolsan Island if you want to be a bit closer.

A few good options are Demare Pension, JCS Hotel, or the Seasidepine Pension.

Both JCS and the Seaside Pension are situated on the northern tip of the island, so access to Yeosu’s city sights AND the temple are convenient from both of these hotels. However, I’d only recommend staying here if you have your own car to travel around with though.

If you’re relying on public transit, it’s better to stay closer to city centre for ease of transport to various tourist sights around the city, and better access to restaurants and cafes.

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Hyangiram Hermitage in Yeosu is undeniably beautiful. Share and comment if you think so too!