Visiting Korean Royal Tombs
Updated Korean River/Streambed Parks
Korean Public Art
Visiting Korean Royal Tombs
Introducing David Mason Korean Culture Expert
Introducing David Mason Korean Culture Expert

David Mason is an old friend of mine. He first came to Korea in the early ’80s as did I. He went to the Yonsei Korean language program, got his MA there, and has made a career of teaching and writing about all things Korea. He has numerous books on his site on Korean shamanism (he is one of the experts) and Buddhism.
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Website: http://www.san-shin.org
Bio & photo
Prof Mason
David A. Mason
Professor of Korean Cultural Tourism at Sejong University, Seoul
Honorary Ambassador of the Baekdu-daegan Mountain-Range
Tour-guide, Lecturer and Author on Traditional Cultural Sites
崔梅仙 최매선
……. David A. Mason is a Professor of Korean and International Cultural
Tourism at Sejong University, Seoul Campus, and a longtime
researcher on the religious characteristics of Korea's mountains.
Prior to his current post as professor of tourism for 15 years, he
served as a consultant for the national Ministry of Culture and
Tourism for 5 years, and as professor of English out in the Korean
countryside for 17 years.
A native of the USA, he has been living in South Korea for 36 years
now, always following his passionate interest in hiking Korea’s
forested mountains and visiting their historic spiritual sites. He has
proudly been a member of the RAS-KB for three decades. He was
appointed the national Honorary Ambassador of the Baekdu-daegan
Ranges in 2011.
Mason earned a Masters; Degree in the History of Korean Religions
from Yonsei University in 1997. He has authored and edited ten
books on Korean culture and tourism, including Spirit of the
Mountains about Korea, traditions of sacred mountains, the English
Encyclopedia of Korean Buddhism, and Solitary Sage: The Profound
Life, Wisdom and Legacy of Korea’s ‘Go-un’ Choi Chi-won. He has
published many articles in academic journals and popular magazines,
and has frequently been interviewed on various media. His popular
website on sacred Korean mountains and mountain-spirit traditions
can be found at www.san-shin.org
Everything on this website is under my Copyright
2001-2021, except as-indicated. Please do not
use anything from it in any way without written
permission from the author via Email.
Articles published in Chosun SAN magazine |
David A. Mason’s San-shin Website all about Korean Mountain-spirits and their shrines, Korea’s sacred peaks and mountain-veneration traditions |
Introduction to San-shin (Korean Mountain-spirits)
What Makes a Korean Mountain “Sacred”?
Which Korean Mountains are Most–Sacred?
Books I have Published about David A. Mason Interviews and Articles on my Research Profile-Article in the Korea Herald Korea’s Four “Golden Ages” All Korea’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites Korea’s Top-7 Buddhist Temples the Nine Greatest Seowon Doryang |
SACRED KOREAN MOUNTAINS: from north-to-south along the west side of this peninsula, starting around Seoul, then south-to-north along the east side |
Contact: send any comments or questions to me: mtnwolf@gmail.com |
Korean-language Edition Available! |
Weird and Excellent New Discoveries! |
At the San-shin-gak of Biseul-san
Nam-jijang-sa Temple south of
Daegu City, Autumn 1999. Photo
by my old friend Kwon Soon-il.
Seondo Korean Daoism — the International Institute for Sundo
Taoist Cultural Research, led by Master Kim Hyeong-mun.
AKA Kuksundo [Guk-seondo] Daoist practices — very interesting stuff.
See my listing of Korea’s 40 most sacred places on
Martin Gray’s excellent Sacred Sites of the World
website, on this page about Korea.
For plenty of information on and beautiful photos of the
world’s holy pilgrimage destinations, get his excellent
book: Sacred Earth: Places of Peace and Power.
My research-paper on the Baekdu-daegan Region as a green pilgrimage-tourism destination by U.N. World Tourism Org |
My Presentation on Korea’s Religious– Pilgrimage Tourism to the UN in Spain 2007 |
Sanshin-je Ceremony at 2008 United Nations International Mountains Day Seminar in Seoul |
Philippines: Dumaguete Town Rainbow Waterfall House Construction Davayn One Year Old 22 Months Old Simala Church Lourdes Shrine 2020 |
Baekdu-daegan Trail Guidebook |
Please donate towards the maintenance
and improvement of this free website —
if you feel you have gotten something
good from viewing it — even a few
dollars helps with the monthly bills…
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My Picks for Seoul’s Top-Five Mountains and Temples in the 2010 “Seoul Book of Everything” |
Gaya-san, the Mountain of Buddha’s Enlightenment featuring Haein-sa and its hermitages |
Dale’s Korean Temple Adventures Blog
Dale’s new book!:
Buddhist Sanshin with Daoist Eight Immortals! |
Australian Aborigine Sanshin Painting! |
Korea for Expats — all info! |
Sacred Peaks of Gyeongju Ancient Capital City with Grand Buddhist Relics |
Article on Jeongseon County 2010 |
Won-bulgyo founder Sotaesan practicing Sanshin-gido Ritual-Prayer |
Taebaek-san: the ultra-holy Grand White Mountain Shamans using the Taebaek Sanshin Hambaek-san — Korea’s Rodney-Dangerfield Mtn |
Gyeryong-san: Rooster-Dragon Mountain-spirit Festival, the Golden-Dragon Hermitage, many fascinating temples & shrines, and the Male & Female Dragon Ponds |
Chiak-san National Park in Wonju 1999 Ceremony at the Eastern Peak Shrine |
Busan City
Yeongchuk-san / Chuiseo-san Cheontae-san Cheontae-sa |
Odae-san — Korea’s Wutai-shan Home of Manjusri Bodhisattva of Wisdom Woljeong-sa, Sangwon-sa and more Winter Olympic TempleStay at Woljeong-sa |
Jogye-san, Mountain of Zen with Songgwang-sa and Seonam-sa |
Hwangak-san Jikji-sa & Samseong-am Daedeok-san |
Gyeongbuk’s sacred Hakka-san with Bongjeong-sa, Gaemoksa & Bomun-sa |
Duta-san, Buddha’s Heaven Mtn featuring Samhwa-sa Sanshin artworks |
Il-wol-san / Sun-Moon Mountain — Korea’s Haunted Slopes |
Hike Korea! — www.hikekorea.com Roger Shepherd’s company |
Baekhwa-san, White Lotus-Flower Mtn with Banya-sa Wisdom Temple — Natural “Tiger” on mountainside!! |
Wonhyo Pilgrimage Trail inaugural trek Dec 2011 2nd Trip for Video Sept 2012! Launch of the Trek! |
Green Shinto Blog fascinating views of Japanese culture |
Newsweek International on Korea’s Religious-Pilgrimage Tourism Sites |
Virtual & Real Guided Tours that I offer in and around Korea: Tours By Locals .com and Context Learning-Travel |
Moak-san the Holy Mother Peak with Geumsan-sa Golden Mountain Temple |
Naejang-san Holy Stored-Within Mountain |
Mountain Deities in China |
Pohang’s Naeyeon-san Great Sanshin at Naeyeon-san Daewonsa Yeongcheon Bohyeon-san Chunghyo-sa |
Great Sanshin Painting at Pohang’s Daewon–sa! |
Juwang-san National Park Yeongdeok-gun County Dragon-Rock Temple |
English Encyclopedia of Korean Buddhism, 2014 |
Solitary Sage: Life, Wisdom and Legacy of “Go-un” Choi Chi-won 2016 — all-color-photos Ebook is available |
My deadhead friend Beth’s awesome new website
on her Tarot & spiritual-Paganism witch-wisdom,
practical-psychology, lifestyle and practices, full of
wonderful & excellent postings; she’s in North Carolina…
Korea’s Cultural Policy, by CB-Saeji
Korea Magazine 1917-19 Contents
Yun Seon-do — Sijo Poetry & Culture of Exile on Bogil-do |
Arirang-TV “K-phile” episode on my research, Dec 2016 |
New Book on Korea’s Leisure Activities, Games and Sports, for Utilization in Cultural Tourism |
Pungsu-Jiri paintings in Lobby of Supreme Court of Korea |
In 2017 I spoke at the UNWTO‘s International Congress on Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage |
Sanshin Painting Gift from Gyeryong-san! |
19th Cen Sanshin-do with I Ching Trigrams |
Video Lecture on the I Ching in Korean Culture |
Soyo-san — Wonhyo’s Jaje-am Retreat-Hermitage |
Naju City’s Bulhoe-sa |
Seven Buddhist Mountain-Temples added to UNESCO World Heritage List |
Contact: send any comments or questions to me: mtnwolf@gmail.com |
Chuncheon’s Samak-san the Home-Root Mountain of my heart |
OTHER FEATURE ARTICLES: |
Vandalism / Arson of Buddhist Temples/Treasures by Korean Protestant Christians |
Great Korean Tiger Folk-Paintings by Master Kim Man-hee |
Spring 2021: |
Dr. Dirk Schlottmann’s research on K-Shamanism |
2014 Haps Magazine Interview by Hal Swindon |
Ganghwa-do — Island of Holy Mountains |
PR-Ambassador of Samgak-san for Gangbuk-gu |
Myth and Iconography of Korea’s Founder-King Dan-gun “Tomb of Dan-gun” in NK 1994 2011 and Paintings of Holy Hwan-ung Dan-gun Myth Postal Stamps 2008 2008 Gasan-sa Dangun-je Festival |
San-shin Ritual was held in North Korea in March 2002!modern Sanshin Painting from NK ! |
Seoul’s “Temple of Heaven”
Great Master Wonhyo |
Jang Bo-go Memorial in Seoul |
Eulji Mundeok Saved Goguyeo |
Shawn and Yu-mi’s Wedding April 2007 Shamanism Seminar Nov 2007 North California Trip Feb 2008 |
Bob Dylan & Band 1974 Tour |
Andrew Douch’s site on the trails
of Korea’s Top 100 Mountains