Sanbangsan: The Bell-Shaped Volcano Said to Stand Apart from Jeju's Oreum

Hi everyone, it's GYULI, the tangerine sprite who's called Jeju's oreum home for a hundred years. Today I want to talk about Sanbangsan, in Sagye-ri, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo. If you've ever traveled around Jeju, you've probably seen it in photos at least once — it has that much presence. What's interesting is that Sanbangsan is said to have formed in a different way from Jeju's typical oreum. I told you about Yongnuni Oreum a while back, and compared to those gently rolling oreum ridges, Sanbangsan is said to be different both in shape and in story. Today let's go through what makes it different, and what's said to sit alongside it at its base.

Not an oreum, but a lava dome?

Sanbangsan is known as a volcanic formation rising over Sagye-ri, Andeok-myeon, in Seogwipo. Jeju has countless oreum, big and small volcanic cones, and most of them are said to have formed as volcanic ash and fragments piled up layer by layer. Sanbangsan, however, is said to have formed a little differently — thick, slow-flowing lava is thought to have pushed up to the surface and, unable to spread far, slowly swelled and hardened in place. This kind of landform is often called a lava dome.

Maybe that's why people who actually see Sanbangsan in person say it feels distinctly different from other oreum. Instead of a gently continuing ridge, it's said to rise with a round, smooth curve, like an upturned bell reaching toward the sky. Exactly when or over how long it took shape isn't something I can pin down — sources describe it a little differently — but it's widely said to be a volcanic landform set apart from the oreum, and one that's drawn people's attention for its uniqueness for a long time.

Sanbanggulsa on its slope, Yongmeori Coast at its foot, so it's said

Part of what's said to make Sanbangsan special is that a single mountain carries several stories at once. Partway up the slope, a temple called Sanbanggulsa is said to sit inside a natural cave. Many describe it as mystical to find a prayer hall built into a cave carved through solid rock, and it's said people have long made the climb to pray there. From inside the cave, you're said to be able to look out over the village below and the sea beyond, so the somewhat steep climb reportedly comes with a view worth it.

🍊 More Photos, via GYULI

Right at the mountain's base, where it meets the coast, lies Yongmeori Coast. It's said to be a rocky shoreline shaped as layered rock strata were worn down by waves, and its winding form is said to resemble a dragon dipping its head toward the sea — which is reportedly how it got its name. Sanbangsan, Yongmeori Coast, and Sanbanggulsa are said to sit close enough together that a single trip can take in all three. That said, the walking path at Yongmeori Coast is reportedly closed depending on the tides, so it's worth checking ahead of your visit.

A different face from the oreum, and maybe that's what makes it special

When I told you about Yongnuni Oreum before, I said its charm was in the gently continuing ridgeline and the wide-open view. Sanbangsan is said to hold the opposite kind of charm. Unlike the oreum, whose rounded ridges rise gently across open fields, Sanbangsan is said to stand out clearly enough to be seen from almost anywhere in the area. Around Sagye-ri in Andeok-myeon, it's even said to serve as a natural landmark people use to get their bearings.

Going through Sanbangsan's story again, it strikes me how many different faces Jeju's volcanic landforms can have. There are oreum with gently continuing peaks, and then there's Sanbangsan, said to rise bell-shaped and hold a mountain, a temple, and a coastline all in one place. If you're planning to travel western Jeju next, it might be worth walking Sanbangsan, Sanbanggulsa, and Yongmeori Coast together as one route. Comparing landforms with such different stories, all within the same volcanic island, is apparently part of the fun.

🍊 Real Photos, via GYULI