Buan Jikso Falls Area Designated as Scenic Site

Jikso Falls, located in Byeonsan Peninsula, Buan, will be registered as a nationally designated cultural heritage site. On the 14th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced its plan to designate the area around ‘Buan Jikso Falls,’ which features a majestic waterfall and a valley flowing through ponds, as a scenic site.

Jikso Falls has inspired many literati since ancient times due to its beautiful scenery. The surrounding area is also picturesque, with ponds such as Silsangyongchu (實相龍湫), Bunokdam (噴玉潭), and Seonnyeotang (仙女湯). The site contains columnar joints and erosion landforms formed from volcanic rock, giving it significant geological value. There is also a folkloric significance, as it is said that rain rituals were performed at Silsangyongchu during droughts.

The artwork that best represents Jikso Falls is ‘Ugeumamdo (禹金巖圖),’ painted by Pyoam Kang Se-hwang, a renowned scholar and artist of the late Joseon Dynasty known as one of the ‘Three Absolutes’ (masters of poetry, calligraphy, and painting). Song Byeong-seon, who died a patriot in the late Joseon period, recorded his experience enjoying the scenery around Jikso Falls in his work ‘Byeonsangi (邊山記).’ He wrote, “From top to bottom, it was as if the cliff was carved out, and the whole area was a pond. The pond at the top received the flowing valley water, which pierced through the wall and sprayed out. Measuring it, the height was several dozen ‘gil’ (a traditional Korean unit of length), and the sound was like thunder.”

If the area around Jikso Falls is designated as a scenic site, Buan will have two scenic sites, including the ‘Buan Chaeseokgang and Jeokbyeokgang area.’ During the 30-day public notice period, the Cultural Heritage Administration will collect opinions from various sectors and finalize the designation through a review by the Cultural Heritage Committee.