Bogwangsa Temple – 보광사 (Paju, Gyeonggi-do)
Temple History
Bogwangsa Temple is located in eastern Paju, Gyeonggi-do to the west of Mt. Goryeongsan (621.1 m). Bogwangsa Temple was first founded in 894 A.D. by the famed monk Doseon-guksa (826-898 A.D.) as a national treasure temple (국가비보사찰) following a royal command. In 1215, the monk Wonjin renovated the temple, and the monk Beopmin enshrined five Buddha and Bodhisattva statues inside the main hall. This was followed in 1388 by the monk Muhak (1327–1405) renovating the temple, once more.
Bogwangsa Temple was completely destroyed by fire during the Imjin War (1592-98). The temple would eventually be rebuilt in 1622 by the monks Seolmi and Deokin. In 1631, the monk Dowon started to raise funds to create the temple bell at Bogwangsa Temple. After collecting some 80 geun (about 48 kg) of bronze over a three year period, Dowon died. His successor, Singwan completed the collection of 300 geun (about 180 kg) of bronze required to complete the bronze bell. So in 1634, the bronze bell was made and enshrined at the temple.
In 1667, further renovations were made at the temple. And in 1740, the Daeungbo-jeon Hall and the Gwaneum-jeon Hall were restored and the Manse-ru Pavilion was first constructed. The temple was expanded when it became the guardian temple for the royal tomb of King Yeongjo of Joseon’s mother, Royal Noble Consort Sukbin Choe (1670-1718), whose tomb is known as Soryeongwon Mausoleum. In fact, and near the Daeungbo-jeon Hall, you’ll find the Eosil-gak Hall, which houses the spirit tablet of Royal Noble Consort Sukbin Choe. And nearby is a juniper tree that is said to have first been planted by King Yeongjo of Joseon (r. 1724-1776).
In 1863, the Ssangse-jeon Hall, the Nahan-jeon Hall, along with the statues of Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife), the Siwang (The Ten Kings of the Underworld), Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha), and the sixteen Nahan (The Historical Disciples of the Buddha) were all made. This was followed with the construction of the Gwaneum-jeon Hall in 1864 and the Sanshin-gak Hall in 1893. And in 1901, and through royal donations, Bogwangsa Temple underwent further restoration.
Some buildings at Bogwangsa Temple were destroyed during the Korean War (1950-53). They were later rebuilt in 1957. And the bell pavilion at the temple was added in 1973. In 1981, the large statue of the Buddha was erected to the rear of the temple grounds, and it stands 12.42 metres in height. This Buddha was built for the defence of the nation. Then in 1994, the Jijang-jeon Hall and the Gwaneum-jeon Hall were rebuilt.
Additionally, there are three hermitages directly associated with Bogwangsa Temple on the temple grounds. They are Yeongmyoam Hermitage, Dosolam Hermitage, and Suguam Hermitage.
The only Korean Treasure at Bogwangsa Temple is the “Bronze Bell of Bogwangsa Temple in Paju,” which is Korean Treasure #2220.
Temple Layout
From the temple parking lot, and after passing by the Iljumun Gate, you’ll next climb a set of stairs that will bring you to the Manse-ru Pavilion. This pavilion, which is a two-story structure, almost looks like a residence now. Its exterior walls are unadorned, and it almost appears as though it’s off-limits to the general public.
To the left of the Manse-ru Pavilion, you’ll find the diminutive Beomjong-gak Hall, which was built in 1973. Housed inside this pavilion is a large bronze bell with a striking image of Poroe atop the bronze bell. Parallel, and slightly to the north, are the monks’ dorms. It’s to the right that you’ll finally enter the main temple courtyard at Bogwangsa Temple.
To the left of the Daeungbo-jeon Hall is a modern, three-story stone pagoda. As for the exterior of the Daeungbo-jeon Hall, and rather atypically, the paintings are directly painted onto the surface of the wooden structure. Typically, these decorative murals are painted onto plaster or mud and then placed into the wall of the shrine hall. While newer in composition, the wall paintings are both unique and stunning. The right exterior walls are adorned with a central image of Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom), who appears to be wearing a military-style helmet. To this images right and left are paintings of Dongjin-bosal (The Bodhisattva that Protects the Buddha’s Teachings) and a Geumgang-yeoksa (Vajra Warrior). To the rear of the shrine hall, you’ll find a tiger, a Banya Yongseon-do (Dragon Ship of Wisdom Mural), a red pine tree, and a “lotus birth” painting. And finally, and adorning the left exterior walls to the main hall, you’ll find a painting dedicated to an all-white Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) and a rather large six-tusked elephant with an image of Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power) riding it.
As for the interior of the Daeungbo-jeon Hall, you’ll find a main altar triad centred by Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha) and joined on either side by Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise) and Yaksayeorae-bul (The Buddha of the Eastern Paradise, and the Medicine Buddha). It’s believed that these statues date back to 1215. The rest of the interior is filled with older murals dedicated to the Palsang-do (The Eight Scenes from the Buddha’s Life Murals), Dokseong (The Lonely Saint), and a Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural). And if you look up at the ceiling of the structure, you’ll find beautiful Bicheon (Flying Heavenly Deities). All of the artwork, just like the exterior of the Daeungbo-jeon Hall, is masterful.
Directly to the right of the Daeungbo-jeon Hall is the Gwaneum-jeon Hall. The exterior walls are adorned in rather clunky modern murals of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Stepping inside the Gwaneum-jeon Hall, you’ll find a solitary image of Gwanseeum-bosal on the main altar underneath a narrow, golden datjib (canopy). The rest of the interior is filled with hundreds of diminutive statues of Gwanseeum-bosal.
In front of the Gwaneum-jeon Hall, on the other hand, is the Jijang-jeon Hall. Adorning the exterior of this wall, and similar in composition to those that adorned the Gwaneum-jeon Hall, are images of the Banya Yongseon-do (Dragon Ship of Wisdom Mural) and various images of the Underworld. Stepping inside this shrine hall, you’ll find a green-haired image of Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife) all alone on the main altar. This statue is joined on either side by statues and paintings of the Siwang (The Ten Kings of the Underworld).
To the rear of the Daeungbo-jeon Hall, and housed in the upper courtyard of the temple, are three additional shrine halls. The first to the far left is the Eungjin-jeon Hall. The exterior walls are adorned with fading paintings of Bicheon (Flying Heavenly Deities). Stepping inside the Eungjin-jeon Hall, you’ll find a main altar triad that’s quite small in size. The central statue is that of Seokgamoni-bul, who is joined on either side by Yeondeung-bul (The Past Buddha) and Mireuk-bul (The Future Buddha). This main altar triad is then joined by equally smaller images of the Nahan (The Historical Disciples of the Buddha).
To the right of the Eungjin-jeon Hall is the Sanshin-gak Hall. The exterior walls of the shaman shrine hall are adorned with murals of Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit) and Dokseong (The Lonely Saint). The low-ceiling interior of the Sanshin-gak Hall is fronted by a main altar mural of Sanshin. The central figure of Sanshin is quite large and dominates the painting. Also of interest is the intense presence of the accompanying tiger with its golden eyes nearly popping out of its head.
The final shrine hall that visitors can see at Bogwangsa Temple is the Eosil-gak Hall, which houses the black memorial tablet of Royal Noble Consort Sukbin Choe, who was the mother of King Yeongjo of Joseon. The upper courtyard is backed by a beautiful, mature red pine forest with crows and magpies flying around in it.
How To Get There
From the Gupabal Subway Station stop #320, which is located on line #3 of the Seoul subway system, you’ll need to go out exit #3 and take Bus #9710. This is the first of two buses you’ll need to take to get to Bogwangsa Temple. You’ll need to take Bus #9710 for five stops, or nine minutes, and get off at the “Sinwon-maeul 2.4 danji – 신원마을 2.4 단지하차” bus stop. From this bus stop, you’ll then need to board Bus #313 or Bus #313-1 for thirty stops, or thirty-four minutes, and get off at the “Bogwangsa – 보광하차” bus stop. From this final bus stop, you’ll need to walk just two minutes to get to the temple. In total, the trip should take about 50 minutes to get to Bogwangsa Temple.
Overall Rating: 8/10
The main highlight to Bogwangsa Temple, both inside and out, is the Daeungbo-jeon Hall. From the unique paintings that adorn the exterior of the main hall, to the main altar triad and older paintings, the Daeungbo-jeon Hall is pretty impressive. Other things to keep an eye out for is the stunning Sanshin (Mountain Spirit) painting inside the Sanshin-gak Hall, the Manse-ru Pavilion at the entry of the temple grounds, and the interior of the Jijang-jeon Hall. Bogwangsa Temple has a great overall atmosphere to it, so it’s definitely worth a visit out to Paju, Gyeonggi-do.
