• Maaebul is spread in India, China, and Japan as well as Korea, and the methods are various, such as embossing [relief], engraving, and line carving. It is one of the most common Buddhist sculpture styles in Korea. Experts believe that the Maaebul style originated from Joyeong of ancient Indian cave temples in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, and was brought to China and Korea through the West. In the case of temples at Ajanta Caves or Ellora Caves in India, a large rock wall was dug to create a space for meditation, and Buddha or Buddhist icons were carved on the inner walls. In the early days, the biography of Buddha and stories of his past life were put on the walls of the caves but gradually developed into a method of engraving Buddha images.
• Maaebul in Korea first appeared in the coastal region of Chungcheong-do around the 7th century. The representative statue of the three Buddhas in Yonghyeon-ri, Seosan, famous for ‘Baekje’s smile’ [National Treasure No. 84], has been widely produced since the Three Kingdoms period. Hyujeongam Maae Trinity Buddha  is a Buddha statue made in the 1950s and shows a very realistic sculptural technique in Busan. From the Geumgang Cable Car stop, follow the hiking trail for about 20 minutes to reach Hyujeongam. Behind the temple hall, there are three Buddhas of Maae engraved on the rock that surrounds them like a folding screen. When the Hall of Fame in Hyujeongam was extended in the 1940s, it was a quiet valley with thick fog and no footsteps. It is said that in the old days, this place was a place where life was difficult and people who failed in life came to commit suicide.
• Compared to other temples and hermitages in Mt. Geumjeong, Seokbulsa has a very short history of construction. It was founded by Buddhist monk Jo Il-Hyeon in 1930, during the Japanese colonial period, and a stone Buddha was built on the rock wall while he was governor. The name of the temple was called Seokbulsa because it looked like a stone Buddha was connected between the rocks as if they were connected by carvings. People usually call it ‘Byeongpungam Seokbulsa Temple’ because of the spectacular scenery.

Exit 2 of Mandeok Station