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Poroe – The Dragon that Adorns the Top of the Temple Bell: 포뢰
Introduction One of the most common things that you’ll see at a Korean Buddhist temple outside a pagoda or temple shrine hall is the Brahma Bell, which is a large, decorative bronze bell. The Brahma Bell, which is known as a “Beomjong – 범종” in Korean, is well-crafted and is usually several hundred years old. Typically, the exterior walls of the bell are adorned with various Buddhist figures like Bicheon (Flying Heavenly Deities), Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas. Joining these bell reliefs is a decorative metal hook that holds the bell to the rafter’s of the bell pavilion. The decorative metal hook that crowns the top of the bell is designed like…
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Daewonsa Temple – 대원사 (Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Daewonsa Temple is located in northern Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do. More specifically, it’s located southeast of the diminutive Mt. Obongsan (177.7 m) near Chilpo Beach. Before the modern Daewonsa Temple was built, the site was occupied by a much older temple, which according to local legend, was dismantled during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in 1510. The former temple was dismantled at this point because the land was needed to house the Japanese military. As for the present temple, Daewonsa Temple, it was first constructed in 1945 just after Japanese colonization (1910-1945) of the peninsula came to an end. Temple Layout As you first approach the temple grounds over the Gohyeon-cheon…