Everybody raves about the Gingko Tree road in Asan during the fall. And they are beautiful and totally worth a visit. But just down the street from those golden trees sits a monument to Korea’s most famous naval hero, Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Besides just being an insanely beautiful place, Hyeonchungsa Shrine (as it was named in 1707) is full of rich history and epic war stories. You could spend an entire day here without learning all that there is to learn, but even if you only have a couple hours, it’s definitely worth a visit.
Hyeonchungsa Shrine in Asan
Just a short walk from the entrance to the grounds is the Yi Sun-sin Memorial Museum – which I highly recommend stopping at. Understanding the things that Admiral Yi did for Korea made our visit to Hyeonchungsa so much more memorable. While the museum itself is very simple (and small), it was perfect for our younger kids because it didn’t take hours to explore. We saw everything within about 30 minutes (except for the video 4D experience they have) and that was the perfect amount of time for our kids.
Admiral Yi is hailed as a war hero because of his leadership and bravery during the Japanese invasions of Korea in the 1590’s. He’s credited for winning 23 battles and defeating a Japanese force of 333 ships with only 13 of his own during the Battle of Myeongnyang. His Kobukson ships (“Turtle Ships”) were the first iron-clad ships in existence and gave Korean forces a leg-up on the Japanese invaders. Because they were covered with spiked iron plates, they made the Japanese tactics of boarding ships and engaging in hand-to-hand combat impossible. And, because the Kobukson ships could hold more cannons than their Japanese counterparts, the Korean forces were able to fire from long range and take out their enemies.
Our kids loved seeing the cannons and the miniature Kobukson ships, as well as the long swords that Admiral Yi carried during this life and the diaries and papers that were written in his own hand. Another thing that we appreciated was how much was in English. Most of the explanations were written in Korean, English, and Chinese.
After the museum, we started the 1/2 kilometer (give or take) hike up to the shrine itself. The way is nicely paved (and did I mention it was BEAUTIFUL!?) and there is a wheelchair (and stroller) accessible path to the right of the main path to the shrine. Although it is paved and relatively easy, it was deceiving how steep the walk up to the shrine was. Word to the wise: wear good walking shoes.
In addition to the shrine in honor of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, we also got to see the tomb of his third son, Yi Myeon. He was killed at the young age of 21 in 1597 in a battle during the Japanese invasion. Yi Myeon is buried under a large mound within the grounds of his father’s shrine. Dignitaries and other important people in Korea are often buried above ground, with a mound of earth placed above them, resulting in bumps in the grass. We often see these on seemingly random hillsides and on hikes that we’ve been on – although at first we didn’t know what they were. A short walk down from Yi Myeon’s tomb are a series of other mounds which are where the remains of many of Admiral Yi’s descendants are buried.
When you go to the Gingko Trail (because, let’s be honest, you’re definitely going to), make sure you save some time to visit Hyeonchungsa Shrine as well. It is absolutely worth your time.
’til next time…
Ash
Tips for visiting Hyeonchungsa Shrine in Asan
Directions: Paste 충청남도 아산시 염치읍 백암리 286-1 into Naver and it will take you directly to the large parking lot outside of the entrance to the shrine grounds.
Cost: Parking and entrance to the shrine are both FREE.
Hours:
March – October
9:00am – 6:00pm Tuesday – Saturday
9:00am – 5:00pm Sunday
CLOSED Monday
November – February
9:00am – 5:00pm Tuesday – Sunday
9:00am – 5:00pm Sunday
CLOSED Monday
*Last entrance one hour before closing. Hours of operation may change at any time. Hours are accurate at the time of this posting according to information available.
Amenities: There are bathrooms in the parking lot, as well as scattered throughout the grounds. There are food vendors in the parking lot as well – I recommend getting something to eat before entering the grounds of the shrine, as food and drink are not allowed in.
Tips: I recommend visiting Hyeonchungsa Shrine in the spring or fall. In the summer it is HOT and there is extensive walking involved in visiting. During the fall you can enjoy the changing trees and in the spring you can see blooms throughout the grounds.
