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Mahayon Hermitage

Coordinates: 38°38′25″N 128°05′07″E / 38.6403°N 128.0854°E / 38.6403; 128.0854
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38°38′25″N 128°05′07″E / 38.6403°N 128.0854°E / 38.6403; 128.0854

Mahayeon Hermitage (Korean마하연터; Hanja摩訶衍址) was a Korean Buddhist hermitage, located at Naegeumgang-ri, Kumgang-gun, Kangwon-do, North Korea. This structure was located at an altitude of 846m, the highest point of the Manpok-dong Valley of Mount Geumgang and was a branch hermitage of the Yujomsa temple.[1]

Paintings (Joseon period)

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Mahayeon was depicted by several Korean painters. Among them:

  • Kim Hong-do <마하연 (摩訶衍)> as #43 in the 《Geumgang Four Counties Album 금강사군첩(金剛四郡帖)》, 1788
  • Kim Ha-jong, <마하연 (摩訶衍)> as #17 of the 《Haesando Album》, 1815

Japanese colonial period

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The #12 (1932) of the "Joseon historical site walk" contains several views of each temple around Mt. Geumgang, Mahayeon among them.[2] Moreover, the area became a touristic destination, leading to the publication of illustrated guides.[3] These pictures taken during the Japanese colonial period are precious since many of these buildings are no longer extant.

Destruction

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During the Korean war, the Bombing of North Korea dropped a total of 635,000 tons of bombs, including 32,557 tons of napalm, on Korea.[4] "Every installation, facility, and village in North Korea [became] a military and tactical target", and the orders given to the Fifth Air Force and Bomber Command was to "destroy every means of communications and every installation, factory, city, and village".[5] As a result, this hermitage has been destroyed by the US bombings of the area.[1]

References

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Sources

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  • Sekino Tadashi (1916–1935). 朝鮮總督府, Japanese Governor of Korea (ed.). 朝鮮古蹟図譜 [Joseon historical sites walk]. 15 volumes.