Jeondeungsa Temple – 전등사 (Ganghwa, Incheon)

Temple History

Jeondeungsa Temple, which means “Transmitting (Dharma) Light Temple” in English, is thought to be the oldest extant Buddhist temple in Korea. It’s located in Ganghwa-do Island in Incheon. It was first built in 381 A.D. by the monk Ado-hwasang. The monk Ado-hwasang arrived on Ganghwa-do Island from Jin Dynasty (266–420 A.D.) to spread Buddhism to the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C. – 935 A.D.). While Ado-hwasang was staying on Ganghwa-do Island, he built a temple on the future Jeondeungsa Temple site. This temple was originally known as Jinjongsa Temple.

However, very little is known about the history of the temple until the mid-Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). It’s not until 1259 that the temple reappears in historical records. In 1259, King Gojong of Goryeo (r. 1213–1259) built a palace inside Samnangseong Fortress, which is also where the temple is located. Earlier, and in 1232, the royal Goryeo family designated Ganghwa-do Island as a temporary capital after the Mongol invasions that took place from 1231-1270. The Ganghwa-do Island Goryeo capital lasted from 1232-1270. According to the “Goryeosa,” King Wonjong of Goryeo (r. 1260-1269, 1269-1274) conducted Buddhist ceremonies to help defeat all kinds of disasters throughout the nation through the power of the Buddha. This only helps to support the idea that the temple was highly revered at this time.

It’s from this that the second set of Tripitaka Koreana, which is now housed at Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, was created. After the first set was destroyed by Mongol invaders in 1232, King Gojong of Goryeo ordered the re-creation of the Tripitaka Koreana in 1237. This second set was completed on Ganghwa-do Island twelve years later. It was only in 1398 that the large set was moved to Haeinsa Temple.

In 1282, the name of the temple changed from Jinjongsa Temple to Jeondeungsa Temple. Jeondeungsa Temple was then destroyed by two large fires. The first fire in 1605 destroyed half of the temple buildings. Then in 1614, another fire destroyed the other half of the buildings. The reconstruction of the temple took place in April of the following year, and the temple was restored to its previous form in 1621.

From 1719 until 1910, Jeondeungsa Temple was in charge of protecting the ancestral records of the Joseon Dynasty royal family. As a result, senior monks from Jeondeungsa Temple were highly regarded during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). In 1912, Jeondeungsa Temple was made one of the regional headquarters during Japanese Colonial Rule (1910-45). The temple oversaw 34 temples located in six counties.

During the summer months, Jeondeungsa Temple is open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. And during the winter months, the temple is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In total, Jeondeungsa Temple is home to six Korean Treasures. They are the “Daeungjeon Hall of Jeondeungsa Temple,” which is Korean Treasure #178; the “Yaksajeon Hall of Jeondeungsa Temple,” which is Korean Treasure #179; the “Iron Bell of Jeondeungsa Temple,” which is Korean Treasure #393; the “Wooden Seated Sakyamuni Buddha Triad of Jeondeungsa Temple,” which is Korean Treasure #1785; the “Wooden Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Triad and Ten Underworld Kings of Jeondeungsa Temple,” which is Korean Treasure #1786; and the off-limits “Printing Woodblocks of Saddharmapundarika Sutra (The Lotus Sutra),” which is Korean Treasure #1908.

Temple Legend

There are a couple of wonderful legends that surround Jeondeungsa Temple. The first relates to the eaves of the Daeung-jeon Hall. If you look closely at each of the four pillars that support the eaves of the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll find four naked female figures.

According to this first legend, there was a hostess at an inn who stole the money and property of the carpenter that was responsible for the construction of the Daeung-jeon Hall at Jeondeungsa Temple. After the Daeung-jeon Hall was destroyed by fire in the early 17th century, the temple hired the leading carpenter of the area.

According to this legend, whenever the carpenter was at the inn, and blinded by love, he would hand over his money to the hostess at the inn for safekeeping. She would say such things as “Hurry up and finish your work so we can start living. Let’s build a picturesque house together.”

The carpenter was finishing his work on the Daeung-jeon Hall at Jeondeungsa Temple, and looking forward to the day that he would live with the inn’s hostess, when she suddenly ran away with all the carpenter’s money and property. Before she ran away, she left a message with the inn’s neighbour, stating, “I ran away at night a few days ago. Don’t try to find me.”

The carpenter, who was angry that his money and possessions had been stolen by the hostess of the inn, decided to carve a figure of a naked woman on the four corners of the structure up in the eaves of the shrine hall. He purportedly did this as a warning to the hostess to answer for her indiscretions.

If you look closely at the four figures, you’ll notice that each of the four wooden female figures places one of their hands under three of the corners. The other hand appears to be resting on its lap. Only one of the four images is using both of its hands to support the weight of the roof. It’s believed that the carpenter was indirectly implying that the woman was still only partially truthful and honest in dealing with her punishment.

The second legend pertaining to Jeondeungsa Temple is related to the two large ginkgo trees at the temple. Both trees are over 500 years of age. They are sometimes referred to as being a female and male. Typically, ginkgo trees only produce fruit if a female tree faces a male tree. However, even when the flower blooms, it doesn’t produce any fruit. Usually, ginkgo trees produce a yellow fruit during the summer to autumn months. However, the trees at Jeondeungsa Temple don’t produce any fruit, so there’s a legend behind this.

During the reign of King Cheoljong of Joseon (r. 1849-64), the government required that the ginkgo trees at Jeondeungsa Temple produce 20 kilograms of fruit. However, these trees typically only produced 10 kilograms of fruit in a season.

Hearing this, the monks at Jeondeungsa Temple were forced to turn to other temples for help. One of the temples that the monks turned to was Baeknyeonsa Temple. A monk there was known for having great spiritual energy. So a few days after turning to Baeknyeonsa Temple for help, the monk Chusong arrived at Jeondeungsa Temple.

Soon rumours spread throughout Jeondeungsa Temple that there would be a ceremony to help the two ginkgo trees at the temple grow twice as much fruit. People gathered at the temple to watch the three day ceremony being conducted by Chusong. Among them, there were some officials.

After the three days of prayers, the eyes of the officials watching the monk Chusong had their eyes swell up. They looked like they had been beaten. At the end, Chusong said, “Now there will be no more fruit on the two trees.”

Everyone looked around in disbelief. At that exact moment, a dark cloud covered Jeondeungsa Temple and a frightening rain started to fall. People fell to the ground in fright. Afterward, and when people eventually looked up, they found that Chusong was gone. People started to believe that Chusong was in fact a Bodhisattva that was sent to help save Jeondeungsa Temple from the oppressiveness of the Joseon royal court. Since this time, the two ginkgo trees at Jeondeungsa Temple haven’t grown any fruit.

Temple Layout

You first make your way up to the temple grounds from a parking lot to the east. Halfway there, you’ll come across the eastern gate to the Samnangseong Fortress. It’s unclear when this fortress was first built with one theory claiming it was first built by the three sons of the legendary founder of Gojoseon, Dangun.

Having passed through this gate, you’re halfway to Jeondeungsa Temple. But the temple is still a bit of a climb. Eventually, you’ll pass by a gift shop. The first few buildings to greet you at Jeondeungsa Temple are the administrative offices and monks’ dorms. To the right is the Sadaejo-ru Pavilion.

The Sadaejo-ru Pavilion is a two-story structure that separates the northern temple courtyard from the rest of the temple grounds. The first story of the structure acts as an entry gate, while the second story acts as a pavilion for larger dharma talks. To the left of the Sadaejo-run Pavilion is the Jong-ru Pavilion. Housed inside this bell pavilion is the “Iron Bell of Jeondeungsa Temple.” This bell is pretty large at 164 cm in height and 100 cm in diametre. At the top there are two Poroe images that are leaning against each other. Around the upper part of the bell are eight trigrams. The rest of the body of the bell is divided into two. Each part has eight squares around its body. According to an inscription on the bell, the bell originally belonged to Sungmyeongsa Temple on Mt. Baegamsan from Henan, China. It was first cast in 1097.

Passing under the Sadaejo-ru Pavilion, you’ll enter into the main temple courtyard at Jeondeungsa Temple. Straight ahead of you is one of Korea’s most impressive Daeung-jeon Halls. Currently under restoration, the Daeung-jeon Hall is adorned in fading dancheong colours. The Daeung-jeon Hall was first built in 1621. Up near the eaves of the structure are the four wooden images of the hostess from the temple legend. Stepping inside the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll be welcomed by the “Wooden Seated Sakyamuni Buddha Triad of Jeondeungsa Temple.” This Korean Treasure is centred by the image of Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha) and joined on either side by images of Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise) and Yaksayeorae-bul (The Medicine Buddha, and the Buddha of the Eastern Paradise). And on either side of the main altar triad are a pair of karma mirrors, which are known as “eopgyeong” in Korean. These karma mirrors were first created in 1627 as a pair. Each consists of a lion-shaped base on top of which stands a mirror. One of these lions is blue, while the other is yellow. The mirrors have lotus-shaped pedestals and a flame-shaped halo surrounding them. These are reproductions of the originals. Karma mirrors are meant to project the wrongs of the dead towards the Siwang (The Ten Kings of the Underworld). Above the main altar triad is a stunning, red datjib (canopy). Protective dragons protrude out from under the canopy, while birds of paradise fly out in front of the main altar. As for the main altar itself, which is known as a “sumidan” in Korean, it dates back to the 17th century. The altar measures 4.8 metres in width, 1.2 metres in height, and 2 metres deep. There are three tiers to the main altar. Each is carved with ornate images that are meant to represent Mt. Meru. There are flowers, trees, birds, floral patterns, and mythical animals adorning it. The bottom level has Gwimyeon (Monster Mask) that are meant to protect the Buddha’s teachings. As for the walls of the Daeung-jeon Hall, they are filled with images of dragons, lotus flowers, and Gareungbinga (Kalavinka). And hanging on the far right wall is the Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural). This painting was first made in the 20th century by the monk Chukyeon. It depicts various guardian deities who protect the dharma. It employs motifs from the late 18th century. It’s an Incheon Metropolitan City Tangible Cultural Property #81. As I said, this main hall is loaded, and it’s one of the finest examples of a main hall in Korea.

To the left of the Daeung-jeon Hall is the Gwaneum-jeon Hall. The exterior walls are adorned in simple dancheong colours. Stepping inside the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll find a somewhat contemplative image of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). The statue appears to be bronze, and it’s backed by a main altar mural of an image of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, as well.

To the left of the Gwaneum-jeon Hall is the Yaksa-jeon Hall, which is another of the Korean Treasures at Jeondeungsa Temple. Again, and much like the exterior of the Gwaneum-jeon Hall, the exterior of the Yaksa-jeon Hall is understated with its dancheong tones. The exact date of the Yaksa-jeon Hall is unknown, however, it has the same architectural style as the neighbouring Daeung-jeon Hall, which was built in 1621. So the Yaksa-jeon Hall is presumed to have been built around the same time as the main hall. Stepping inside the Yaksa-jeon Hall, you’ll find a solitary image of Yaksayeorae-bul on the main altar. The ceiling of the shrine hall is filled with ornate carvings of flowers and fish, as well as paintings of lotus flowers and vines.

And to the left of the Yaksa-jeon Hall is the Myeongbu-jeon Hall. The exterior walls are adorned in understated dancheong colours, as well as murals of dragons. Stepping inside the Myeongbu-jeon Hall, you’ll find a main altar occupied by a green haired image of Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife). This central image is joined on either side by the Siwang (The Ten Kings of the Underworld), as well as a pair of Geumgang-yeoksa (Vajra Warriors) at the entry of the shrine hall. The wooden statues inside the Myeongbu-jeon Hall were first made in 1636 by the monk Suyeon, who also carved the “Wooden Seated Sakyamuni Buddha Triad of Jeondeungsa Temple.” And like the main altar statues, these statues are Korean Treasures, as well. Officially, they are known as the “Wooden Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Triad and Ten Underworld Kings of Jeondeungsa Temple.” Also taking up residence inside the Myeongbu-jeon Hall is a large, modern Gamno-do (Sweet Dew Mural) on the far left wall.

Between the Gwaneum-jeon Hall and the Yaksa-jeon Hall, you’ll find a trail that leads up to the Samseong-gak Hall. Housed inside this shaman shrine hall are three of Korea’s most popular shaman deities: Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit), Chilseong (The Seven Stars), and Dokseong (The Lonely Saint). It’s also from the heights of the Samseong-gak Hall that you get a good look at the Yellow Sea off in the distance.

How To Get There

First, you’ll need to get to Incheon. Once there, and from the Shinchon Subway Station, line #2, use exit #4 and walk 100 metres. From there, take Bus #3100 to the Onsu-ri Terminal, which can be found in front of Artreon Cinema. Get off at Onsu-ri. Walk to the temple from there. It should take about twenty minutes.

Or, and again from Incheon, you can take the Incheon Express City Bus #700. From there, get off at the Onsu-ri Station. Signs should lead you the rest of the way to the temple

Overall Rating: 9/10

What’s not to love about the oldest extant temple in Korea? It has six Korean Treasures, two great legends, and it’s beautifully situated on Ganghwa-do Island. The Daeung-jeon Hall is one of the most impressive main halls that you’ll find in all of Korea. From its main altar, to its statues, to its red canopy, the Daeung-jeon Hall is packed with beautiful Buddhist imagery. Additionally, you can also enjoy the architecture of the Yaksa-jeon Hall or the shaman artwork housed inside the Samseong-gak Hall, which isn’t to forget the “Wooden Seated Sakyamuni Buddha Triad of Jeondeungsa Temple” inside the Myeongbu-jeon Hall or the “”Iron Bell of Jeondeungsa Temple.”