성류동굴

Seongnyu Gul - Seongryu Cave - Songnyugul Cave - Sungryu Cave - Tengcheongul Cave - Geumgang Underground Mountain

Useful Information

photography — Sungryu cave, Uljin, South Korea. Public Domain.

Location:	Ulchin-gun, Kyangsangbuk-do. From Tong Seoul Bus Terminal take a Ulchin-bound bus, 6:30. At Ulchin Bus Terminal take a city bus to Sangnyugul Cave, 20 min. The cave is located in a cliff and can be accessed from both sides, north and south. The big parking lot is on the south side.
Open:	MAR to OCT daily 9-18. NOV to FEB daily 9-17. [2016]
Fee:	Adults WAN 3,000, Children (10-18) WAN 2,000, Children (0-9) WON 1,500. [2016]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	T=10-17 °C, L=915 m.
Guided tours:	L=470 m.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Songnyugul Cave, 30 San Gusan-ri, Geunnam-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk, Tel: +82-54-782-4006, Fax: +82-565-785-6466. Seongryugul Management Office, 225 Seongryugul-ro, Geunnam-myeon, Uljin-gun, Tel: +82-54-789-5400.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1592-1598	during the Japanese invasion a Buddhist statue was sheltered in the cave.
10-MAY-1963	designated Natural Monument No. 155.
1963	opened to the public as a show cave, first show cave of Korea.

Description

성류동굴 (Seongryugul) or 성류굴 (Seongnyugul) was named such because Buddhist statues were hidden there during the Japanese invasion of 1592-1598, the Imjin War. The name means the place where the holy Buddha stayed. More than 500 local residents fled into the cave and according to legend were trapped inside by the Japanese Army and starved to death. Before it was called Seonyugul which means the place where the gods played freely. It is Korea's first show cave, opened to the public in 1963.

This is a river cave, the river could once only be crossed by boat. The river forms five pools along the path. The chambers of the tour are numbered, twelve of them are visited. Most impressive are the last two chambers with their extraordinary speleothems. The 11th chamber is called Sambulsang because its speleothems look as if three Buddhas were standing in line. The 12th chamber contains Pomuls am (Treasure Island) a spectacular array of extremely clear and bright stalagmites and stalactites.

This cave was first mentioned by Gog Lee, a renowned scholar during Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). But it is likely that this cave was formerly mentioned under the name Jangcheon Cave in the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms (삼국유사 - Samgukyusa). It is a collection of legends and folktales from Silla (57 BC - A.D. 935), Baekje (18 B.C.-A.D. 660) and Goguryeo (37 B.C.-A.D. 668).

The cave is a part of 경북 동해안 국가지질공원 (Gyeongbuk Donghaean Geopark).