Seonamsa Temple was badly damaged by fire during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s. While rebuilding the temple, in 1698 — the 24th year of King Sukjong's reign — the monk Hoam had a beautiful stone arch bridge built at the temple entrance, now known as Seungseongyo. A legend explains how the bridge came to be: Hoam had spent a hundred days in prayer, hoping for a vision of the Bodhisattva of Mercy (Avalokiteshvara), but the prayer went unanswered. In despair, he climbed to the edge of a cliff intending to throw himself off — and at that moment, a woman appeared, saved him, and vanished. Only afterward did Hoam realize the woman had been the Bodhisattva of Mercy herself. In gratitude, he built Wontongjeon Hall to enshrine her, and built this rainbow bridge at the temple's entrance.
At the center of Seungseongyo's stone arch, a carved dragon's head juts downward from the keystone. According to local legend, if you ever pulled that dragon's head out, the entire bridge would collapse. Built entirely from river stones taken from the surrounding valley, the bridge was designated a Korean Treasure in 1963. Standing here today, watching the arch's reflection form a perfect circle in the stream below, it's worth remembering that the reason this bridge exists at all is a story about someone at the edge of a cliff, ready to give up, who was pulled back by a stranger's hand.