Bokcheonam Hermitage (Cheongju)

Songnisan Sejo-gil Trail is a hiking path created along the route taken by King Sejo, the 7th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, to meet Buddhist monk Shinmi. Along this trail are a bathhouse where King Sejo was said to have been cured of a skin disease and Bokcheonam Hermitage, where he held a Buddhist ceremony with Shinmi. Located at the end of Sejo-gil Trail, Bokcheonam is a small hermitage situated at the navel point of Songnisan Mountain. It was founded during the reign of King Seongdeok of the Silla Dynasty and has continued for over a thousand years. The hermitage retains royal traces from various eras, including a hanging plaque inscribed with 'Muryangsa' in the handwriting of King Gongmin of the Goryeo Dynasty, and a flagpole support (dangganjiju) where King Sejo of Joseon planted his ceremonial flag, located in the courtyard of Bokcheonam. This place serves as a meditation hall (seonbang) for bhikkhuni (Buddhist nuns) of the Jogye Order, but the temple's land and buildings are registered under the Taego Order, and regular ceremonies are held on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month.

The path to Bokcheonam is exceptionally beautiful, offering views of both mountains and water, and has preserved many royal traces from ancient times. Near the main hall of Beopjusa Temple, there is Seonheegung Wondang, a shrine enshrining the spirit tablet of Royal Noble Consort Yeongbin Lee, a concubine of King Yeongjo of Joseon. At Bokcheonam, there is a bathhouse where King Sejo, along with monks Shinmi and Hakjo, performed a three-day prayer and bathed, after which the king's skin disease was cured. Additionally, there is Munjangdae Peak, where King Sejo and his ministers are said to have climbed and engaged in discussions, and on Taebong Peak, a cliff above Sesimjeong Valley, there is the placenta chamber (taesilbi) and placenta jar (taesil) of King Sunjo of Joseon. Today, the path to Bokcheonam is well-maintained, offering a pleasant walking trail that allows visitors to fully appreciate the beauty of the route and find healing.