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Singwangsa Temple – 신광사 (Buk-gu, Gwangju)
Temple History Singwangsa Temple in Buk-gu, Gwangju, which shouldn’t be confused with the dozen or so other temples with the same name in Korea, is located in the eastern part of the city. Singwangsa Temple was first founded in 1933 from the donations of Kim Cheong-jaewol, who was the mother of Choi Dong-yeol. Choi Dong-yeol was a prominent figure in Gwangju around this time. Singwangsa Temple was the first temple in Gwangju to be made for the practice of nuns. In 1944, the first abbess of the temple, Hyeun (慧雲), took over the administration of the temple. She also registered it as a branch temple of Songgwangsa Temple. It was…
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Munbinjeongsa Temple – 문빈정사 (Dong-gu, Gwangju)
Temple History Munbinjeongsa Temple is located within the boundaries of Mudeungsan National Park. More specifically, Munbinjeongsa Temple is located in the western foothills of Mt. Mudeungsan (1,186.8 m) in Dong-gu, Gwangju. In 1959, Jang Munbin (1893-1987), who was originally from Pyongyang, demolished all of the structures that were being used as private retreats by lay devotees. The site was purportedly the former location of Amitabulam Hermitage on Mt. Mudeungsan. It was here that he decided to build Munbinjeongsa Temple. Originally, the temple was registered as a Taego-jong Order temple in 1969. In 1978, the abbot Seoksan then registered the temple as a Jogye-jong Order temple. The abbot Seoksan was originally…
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Wonhyosa Temple – 원효사 (Buk-gu, Gwangju)
Temple History Wonhyosa Temple in Buk-gu, Gwangju is located to the northwest of Mt. Mudeungsan (1,186 m), and it looks out towards Wonhyo-bong Peak (561 m). The temple is said to have been first founded by Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.); however, the exact date of the founding of the temple is unknown. According to the “Wonhyoam Reconstruction Record,” which can be found in the “Historical Materials of Joseon Temples” that was published in 1847, Wonhyo-daesa built a small hermitage in a scenic location where the mountains were purple and the water clear. He named this hermitage Wonhyoam Hermitage. It’s said to have been founded during the reign of King Jijeung of…
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Wongaksa Temple – 원각사 (Dong-gu, Gwangju)
Temple History Wongaksa Temple is located in Dong-gu, Gwangju in the eastern part of the city. Wongaksa Temple was first founded in April, 1914 by the monk Geumbong Girim, who was from Seonamsa Temple. Wongaksa Temple was founded as a propagation centre in Gwangju for Seonamsa Temple. In the fall of 1939, the temple was renovated and expanded. In 1944, Kim Yeong-su, who was then the abbot of Seonamsa Temple, erected a monument entitled “Song-eun Yi Gong Gyu-seok and Park Shi Daedeokhwa Devotion Memorial Monument,” which was to commemorate the founding and history of Wongaksa Temple. For unknown reasons, and on December 19th, 1973, the temple was registered under the…
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Jeungsimsa Temple – 증심사 (Dong-gu, Gwangju)
Temple History Jeungsimsa Temple is located in Dong-gu, Gwangju in the western foothills of Mt. Mudeungsan (1,186.8 m). In fact, Jeungsimsa Temple is located in the western portion of Mudeungsan National Park. Jeungsimsa temple was first founded by the monk Cheolgam-seonsa (798-868 A.D.) in 860 A.D. However, there is some dispute as to when the temple was first founded. According to the “Gwangju Eupji – 광주읍지,” which was published in 1924, the temple was first founded in 517 A.D. by a Chinese monk named Cheolgam from the Liang Dynasty (502-519 A.D.). According to the “Gwangju Gunsa – 광주군사,” on the other hand, which was published in 1934, the temple was…
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Geumseonsa Temple – 금선사 (Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju)
Temple History Geumseonsa Temple is located in western Gwangju inside Seongjong Park. Formerly, Geumseonsa Temple was Songjeong Shrine, which was a Japanese Shinto shrine. As part of the Japanese Colonial Rule (1910-45) policy, Shinto shrines were established throughout the Korean Peninsula, and visiting these shrines was enforced. This was all part of an effort to make Koreans loyal subjects of the Japanese Emperor. Geumseonsa Temple, which was formerly Songjeong Shrine, is the only remaining Japanese Shinto shrine in Korea. Originally, the Songjeong Shrine was the site of the Shimmei Shrine, which was established on November 25th, 1922 (Taisho 11). On August 28th, 1940 (Showa 15), Otsuka Yohei and fifty-three other…