Palgong-san [八公山 팔공산, Eight Worthies Mountain] has been one of Korea's most sacred mountain-clusters since ancient times, and is today a heavily-visited attraction located on the border between Daegu Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, including parts of Chilgok-gun County, Gunwi-gun County, Yeongcheon City and Gyeongsan City. Most of it is now the Palgong-san Provincial Park of Gyeongsangbuk-do, designated in 1980. It is the nation’s largest provincial park, bigger than many of the national parks. Its waters feed the Nakdong-gang and Geumho-gang rivers.
Palgong-san has long served as both the military and spiritual "guardian" mountain of this central region, with several sites of former military fortresses on its slopes. It was the central holy peak (Jung-ak) of the O-ak [五嶽, Five Guardian Mountains] system of the ancient Shilla Kingdom and Unified Shilla Dynasty, and remained prominent in the Goryeo Dynasty. Their kings sponsored ritual ceremonies venerating its presumed-powerful Sanshin [山神, Mountain-spirit] for national prosperity and protection every 3rd and 9th Moon, at shrines on its summit and at its southern foot; one of these has now been revived in the traditional royal-Confucian style by the local governments. This vast mountain holds an important position in what we might call the "sacred geography of Korea", and has always been a key center of Korean Buddhism, hosting about two dozen temples.
The summit, 1192 meters above sea level, is the central Biro-bong [飛蘆峰, Vairocana Peak] named after Birojana-bul [毘盧遮那佛, Vairocana the Buddha of Cosmic Light], previously named Jewang- bong (帝王峰) after the Jeseok-cheon [帝釋天, Heaven-King deity, Indra]. Its 993-m eastern peak (popularly called dong-bong) is named Mita-bong (彌陀峰) after Amita-bul [阿彌陀佛, Amitabha the Buddha of Western Paradise], while its 902-m western massif (seo-bong) is named Samseong-bong [三聖峰, Three Saints Peak] or Ga-san. These three main peaks have long been thought to be representing a set of Three Buddhas (past, present and future), or a Samjonbul (三尊佛) triad. Korean pungsu-jiri (風水地理, feng-shui, geomancy) experts have long said that Biro-bong looks like “a phoenix roosting on her eggs”, a highly auspicious form.
Palgong-san is a great national treasure, holding a vast natural, cultural and spiritual wealth, featuring magnificent granite formations atop its ridges offering spectacular views, beautiful valleys and thick forests. Its five greatest ancient Buddhist temples are Eunhae-sa (銀海寺, Silver Sea Temple) on the east, Donghwa-sa (桐華寺, Bright Paulownia-Tree Temple), Buin-sa and Pagye-sa on the south, and Songlim-sa to the southwest. It also hosts Seonbon-sa Temple (禪本寺) on Gwan-bong Peak (冠峯, south of Mita-bong), which features the famous Gat-bawi [갓바위, Hat Boulder] Buddha Statue. The Gunwi County Triad Buddha Grotto (National Treasure #109), commonly called the Je-i-seok- gulam [Second Seokgul-am 石窟庵 grotto-shrine], is on the remote northern slopes.
In addition, there is a large stone Mireuk-bul [彌勒佛, Maitreya the Future Buddha] triad at Yeombul- bong [念佛峰, Buddhist Chanting Peak] near the summit, and the 20-km-long walls of Gasan-san- seong Fortress in the west where a great battle was fought between Hubaekje and Goryeo forces in 927. Quite a few other traditional and modern temples and hermitages also encircle these slopes. It is said that Palgong-san temples enshrine an unusually high number of Yaksa-yeorae-bul[藥師如 來佛, Bhaisajyaguru the Medicinal/Healing Buddha] statues, besides the many Mireuk-bulicons.
called'Youngsan' (靈山) in Daegu Gyeongbuk. http://news.imaeil.com/Society/2019101818450341068