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Templestay – Hwagyesa Temple (Seoul)
Introduction to Temple Hwagyesa Temple was first founded in 1522 A.D by the monk Sinwol. Tragically, the temple was destroyed by fire in 1618. It wasn’t until 1866, through financial support from royal elders, that the temple was rebuilt. There are numerous buildings at the temple to enjoy like the Daeung-jeon Hall, the Myeongbu-jeon Hall, and the Samseong-gak Hall. In addition to these buildings, a visitor can enjoy a small spring to the rear of the temple and Hwagye-gol Valley. The spring water from the Oktak-cheon stream is said to have curative properties for skin and stomach ailments. In total, Hwagyesa Temple offers two distinct Templestay programs. The first is…
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Templestay – Jogyesa Temple (Seoul)
Introduction to Temple Jogyesa Temple is located in Jong-no, Seoul. The name of Jogyesa Temple might sound familiar. It’s the headquarters to the largest Buddhist Order in Korea: the Jogye-jong Order. Jogyesa Temple has a bit of a unique history. The original building that took up residence at Jogyesa Temple was actually transferred from a temple named Gakhwangsa Temple in neighbouring Susong Park in 1938. Gakhwangsa Temple was first founded in 1395. This original structure no longer remains; but during Japanese Colonial Rule from 1910-1945, the temple would grow in importance in its resistance towards the Japanese efforts to suppress Korean Buddhism. It was in 1937 that the resistance movement was…
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Templestay – Bongeunsa Temple (Seoul)
Introduction to Temple Bongeunsa Temple is conveniently located in the posh neighbourhood of Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The temple was first established in 794 A.D. by Yeonhoe. There are quite a few unique features to this large sized temple including the large stone statue of Mireuk-bul (The Future Buddha) to the rear of the temple grounds, as well as the beautifully situated and adorned Daeung-jeon Hall. Bongeunsa Temple does two types of Templestay programs. The first is the more traditional one night and two days program that focuses on a temple tour, sutra writing, meditation, and morning prayers. On the other hand, the other program that Bongeunsa Temple conducts is a two…