Gwaneumsa Temple – 관음사 (Gwanak-gu, Seoul)

Temple History
Gwaneumsa Temple, which shouldn’t be confused with the dozens of other temples with the exact same name in Korea, is located in Gwanak-gu, Seoul in the northern slopes of Mt. Gwanaksan (632.2 m). The name of the temple is in reference to Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). The temple was first founded in 895 A.D. by the famed monk Doseon-guksa (826-898 A.D.). The temple was originally constructed as a “Bibosa” temple. Bibosa temples were built as temples based upon the idea of protecting the nation. This idea held that by establishing temples in auspicious locations and offering prayers that the nation would prosper. These principles were based upon pungsu-jiri (geomancy, feng shui).
While there are very few records concerning Gwaneumsa Temple during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), there are a few documents such as the “Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam,” the “Beomugo,” the “Garamgo,” and the “Yeojidoseo” that confirm the existence of the temple throughout the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
In 1863, the monk Haengnyeom received 1,000 gold coins from Kim Moon-geun, who was Prince Yeongeun, to renovate the temple. Then in 1924, the abbot of the temple, Seokju, expanded Gwaneumsa Temple by reconstructing the Daebang Hall. In 1925, the monks’ dorms were restored. This was followed by the construction of the Chilseong-gak Hall in 1929, the Sanshin-gak Hall in 1930, and the Yonghwa-jeon Hall in 1932. Subsequently, the Geukrak-jeon Hall was renovated in 1942. This was capped-off with the reconstruction of the Daeung-jeon Hall in 1982 under the guidance of the abbot Jongha. In 1993, the underground auditorium was built. Then in 2005, the outdoor shrine dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal was built, which was followed by the construction of the Iljumun Gate at the entry of the temple grounds in 2007, bringing the temple to its current configuration.
Temple Layout
You first make your way up a mountain road filled with a LOT of hikers. You’ll pass under the vibrant Iljumun Gate, until you eventually arrive at the temple parking lot. Up a stone flight of stairs book-ended by a pair of seokdeung (stone lanterns), you’ll find the Myeongbu-jeon Hall. The exterior walls are adorned with murals of the Siwang (The Ten Kings of the Underworld), Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife), and the Banya Yongseon-do (The Dragon Ship of Wisdom). If you look close at this mural, as the Dragon Ship of Wisdom ferries the dead across Samsara towards their destination of the Western Paradise, or “Jeongto” in Korean, you’ll find one man attempting to retrieve a loved one from the dragon ship by swimming out towards it.
Stepping inside the Myeongbu-jeon Hall, you’ll find a statue of a golden Jijang-bosal on the main altar. Rather interestingly, the statue of Jijang-bosal almost looks like it’s pursing its lips. On either side of the main altar, you’ll find statues of the Siwang (five on each side of the main altar). Curiously, the statues are situated behind a partial glass partition.
To the right of the Myeongbu-jeon Hall, you’ll find a rather chunky nine-story pagoda. Typically, Korean pagodas gradually taper upwards. However, the nine-story pagoda at Gwaneumsa Temple barely tapers upwards. Additionally, there isn’t a single relief on this pagoda. And next to this pagoda is the Jong-ru Pavilion, which houses a solitary bronze bell. Both bell and pavilion were made in the 1980s.
Continuing heading towards the right, and heading west, you’ll find the rather large Samseong-gak Hall. The exterior walls to this shaman shrine hall are adorned with murals dedicated to Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.) and Uisang-daesa (625-702 A.D.), as well as beautiful lotus flowers. Stepping inside the Samseong-gak Hall, you’ll find two reliefs. The central golden image is dedicated to a well-populated relief dedicated to Chilseong (The Seven Stars). To the right of this central image is a long, white-bearded image dedicated to Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit). And the far left wall is filled with dozens of smaller statues dedicated to the Nahan (The Historical Disciples of the Buddha).
To the right of the Samseong-gak Hall, you’ll find a smaller sized shaman shrine hall. This shrine hall is the Yongwang-dang Hall. The exterior walls are adorned with floral murals like pink peonies. Stepping inside the Yongwang-dang Hall, you’ll find another relief. This relief is dedicated to Yongwang (The Dragon King), who is joined by a pair of feisty dragons.
North of these two shaman shrine halls, you’ll find the large outdoor shrine dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). The statue of Gwanseeum-bosal has a rather plump face with a large crown atop its head. And in her hand, she holds a ewer with medicinal ambrosia inside it.
The final temple shrine hall that visitors can explore at Gwaneumsa Temple is the Daeung-jeon Hall. The exterior walls are adorned with a stunning set of floral latticework. And up near the shrine hall’s signboard, you’ll find a pair of fierce dragons welcoming visitors to the main hall. Stepping inside the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll find a triad of statues on the main altar centred by Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha). Flanking this central image are a pair of statues: one dedicated to Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom), while the other is dedicated to Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power). To the right of the main altar, you’ll find a Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural); while to the left, you’ll find a mural dedicated to Jijang-bosal. The interior is filled with large floral murals, as well as murals dedicated to an elephant riding Bohyeon-bosal and a blue lion riding Munsu-bosal.
How To Get There
The closest subway station to Gwaneumsa Temple is the Sadang station, stop #433, on the fourth line. After going out exit #4, you can simply walk to Gwaneumsa Temple. Head south down “Gwacheon-dae-ro – 과천대로” street for about 150 metres. You’ll then need to turn right and head west down “Seungbang-gil – ‘승방길” road for about 900 metres. This road will give way to a mountain road. In total, the 1.05 km hike should take about 20 minutes.
If you have a mobility issue, you can simply take a taxi from Sadang station. Again, go out exit #4. The taxi ride should be under 5 minutes, and it should cost around 5,000 won (one way).
Overall Rating: 6/10
While there’s nothing that will blow you away at Gwaneumsa Temple in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, there are a lot of nice features like the outdoor shrine dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). Additionally, a lot of the exterior wall paintings to the four shrine halls at Gwaneumsa Temple are beautiful, including the Banya Yongseon-do (Dragon Ship of Wisdom Mural) that adorns the exterior of the Myeongbu-jeon Hall, as well as the beautiful paintings that adorn both the Yongwang-dang Hall and the Samseong-gak Hall. Overall, Gwaneumsa Temple is a nice little sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of Seoul city life.













