Mt. Maisan Provincial Park is located in Jinan-gun, Jeollabuk-do. During the Silla Kingdom, it was called Seodasan, during the Goryo Dynasty, Yongchulsan, and finally named Maisan during the Joseon Dynasty. Maisan is referred to 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.There is a myth that has been passed down through the generations regarding Mt. Maisan. It tells of two gods that came down from the sky, had a child and lived on earth for a while. As they were going back up to the sky, a village woman saw them ascending, and were trapped on earth and were transformed in to a rock mountain. Even today, you can see the father peak and the child peak, and the mother peak on the other side. The pagodas atop Mt. Maisan were built from native rocks and the top of these towers look as sharp as nails. On the south side of the mountain, it is said that 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 somehow 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.
