Terraced Paddy Fields of Gacheon Village, Namhae

Terraced paddy fields are rice paddies cut into mountain slopes to allow for wet-rice farming, and they are places where human life and nature exist in harmony. Here, more than 100 tiers of paddies have been built in steps to match the terrain, on the steep slopes of Seolheulsan Mountain and Eungbongsan Mountain overlooking the sea, creating a beautiful contrast between the high mountains and the wide open sea. There are no detailed records of Gacheon Village's founding, but judging from material handed down among the Gimhae Kim and Haman Jo clans, who have lived in the village for generations, it appears to date back to around the time of King Sinmun of Silla. Judging by the legend of Mireuk (Maitreya) and the legend of Yukjomun, the village existed before the Goryeo period, and the beacon mound on Seolheulsan Mountain, apparently used during the Imjin War, shows that a village already stood here even before that time. The village was originally called Gancheon (間川, 'between the streams'), and its name was changed to Gacheon (加川) in the mid-Joseon period, the name it still bears today. The natural elements of paddies, forest and sea, together with cultural elements such as the Gacheon Amsubawi Rocks, Bammudeom (a mound where rice offerings are buried as part of a village ritual), the Seolheulsan beacon mound, and Nodo Island, the place of exile of Kim Man-jung (pen name Seopo), further enhance the site's value as a Scenic Site.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Namhae, Gyeongnam

Designation

Scenic Site · 명승