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Seongamsa Temple – 성암사 (Nam-gu, Busan)
Temple History Seongamsa Temple is located on the southern slopes of Mt. Hwangnyeongsan (427m) in Nam-gu, Busan. Because of its location on Mt. Hwangnyeongsan, it’s said to resemble a turtle laying eggs. This is thought to symbolize wealth and prosperity. As a result, Seongamsa Temple is thought to have an auspicious location. According to oral tradition, the temple was first founded in the late Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), and it once oversaw 13 hermitages. However, no detailed historical records about the temple have survived. There are various legends about the modern origin of the temple. One tells of a lay practitioner, in 1910, who built a hermitage and then enshrined a…
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Guryongsa Temple – 구룡사 (Buk-gu, Busan)
Temple History Guryongsa Temple, which means “Nine Dragons Temple” in English, is located in Buk-gu, Busan with the Nakdong River not too far off to the west. It shouldn’t be confused with the more famous Guryongsa Temple in Wonju, Gangwon-do. It’s believed that the temple was first established in 680 A.D. by the famed monk Uisang-daesa (625-702 A.D.). Guryongsa Temple was originally named Seonhyusa Temple because of its beautiful location. As a result, it was believed that the temple was made in a place where Taoist hermits would want to stop and rest. Eventually, the temple would be renamed Guryongsa Temple. As for the name and how the temple came…
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Haedong Seongchuisa Temple – 해동성취사 (Gijang-gun, Busan)
Temple History Haedong Seongchuisa Temple is located in Gijang-gun, Busan near the East Sea. And while it has a similar name to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, the sea and haedong are pretty much all that these two temples have in common. With a large golf course to the rear and the views of the East Sea out in front, Haedong Seongchuisa Temple was first built in 2000. The temple is home to a handful of shrine halls, and the current abbot, Uam, completed training in Beomeum Beompae (traditional Buddhist chant and song), which is recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage #9. Abbot Uam established a Beomeum Beompae university at the temple. The…
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Hyewonjeongsa Temple – 혜원정사 (Yeonje-gu, Busan)
Temple History Hyewonjeongsa Temple is located in Yeonje-gu, Busan to the northwest of Mt. Baesan (256.3 m). Hyewonjeongsa Temple was first founded in 1925 during Japanese Colonial Rule (1910-1945). Purportedly, an old man named Kim Deokman, who lived in the nearby area, came to this part of Busan to collect firewood. As he was collecting firewood, he stumbled upon an old temple site. Together with his wife, Kim Sunim, they decided to establish a small temple on the old temple site. With their family assets, the couple decided to create a golden Buddha statue. They also built a three-room wooden structure with a main hall. They lived there together for…
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Naewonam Hermitage – 내원암 (Geumjeong-gu, Busan)
Hermitage History Naewonam Hermitage is located on the Beomeosa Temple grounds in Geumjeong-gu, Busan. It’s unclear when the hermitage was first founded; however, according to historical records, it appears to have been reconstructed in 1693 by the monk Shinju. There were several renovations conducted at the hermitage during the 1800s. Also, historical records indicate the presence of the “Seated Stone Bodhisattva Statue of Naewonam Hermitage, Beomeosa Temple,” which is a Cultural Heritage Materials of Busan Metropolitan City, at this time. It’s believed that this statue was created during the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). In 1900, the famed monk Gyeongheo (1849–1912) established a meditation hall (Seonwon) at Beomeosa Temple. And in…
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Gamcheonsa Temple – 감천사 (Yeonje-gu, Busan)
Temple History Gamcheonsa Temple is located in Yeonje-gu, Busan to the northwest of Mt. Baesan (256.3 m). Additionally, Gamcheonsa Temple is only a few metres away from neighbouring Hyewonjeongsa Temple. It’s unclear when Gamcheonsa Temple was first built, but it’s said that it’s the third oldest temple in Busan behind Beomeosa Temple and Mahasa Temple. Before the temple was known as Gamcheonsa Temple, it was known as Beommu-gol Temple. Originally, there once was a small main hall and dorms on the current site of Gamcheonsa Temple. Around 1931, the temple was founded as a small hermitage. And because there was a spring on the grounds that tasted sweet, and it…
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Taejongsa Temple – 태종사 (Yeongdo-gu, Busan)
Temple History Taejongsa Temple is located within Taejongdae Park in Yeongdo-gu, Busan. Taejongsa Temple was first established in 1976 as part of the Jogye-jong Buddhist Order. In September 1983, the Sri Lankan government donated a sari (crystalized remain) of the Buddha, Seokgamoni-bul, as well as two Bodhi trees to the temple. Within the temple grounds, there are about 3,000 hydrangeas. Of these 3,000 flowers, there are ten different varieties, which bloom from June to September. These flowers have been collected over a 40 year period by the temple’s abbot, Doseong. Additionally, these hydrangeas have been collected from both domestic and foreign locations and mountain temples. As for Taejongdae Park, it’s…
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Injisa Temple – 인지사 (Haeundae-gu, Busan)
Temple History Injisa Temple, which means “Benevolent Wisdom Temple” in English, is located to the north of Mt. Jangsan (634 m) in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Injisa Temple, which is also known as Gwaneumjeongsa Temple, was first founded in 1984 on the former site of the Silla-era (57 B.C. – 935 A.D.) hermitage known as Injiam Hermitage. This hermitage would later be known as Sinseonam Hermitage. It’s believed that Injiam Hermitage was first constructed around 700 A.D. The hermitage would eventually be abandoned during the 19th century. The temple was eventually incorporated into the Jogye-jong Order in 1986. It was at this time that the temple changed its name to that of…
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Geumjeongseonwon Temple – 금정선원 (Dongnae-gu, Busan)
Temple History Geumjeongseonwon Temple, which is also known as Geumjeongsa Temple, is located in Geumgang Park behind the Busan Marine Natural History Museum (부산해양자연사박물관) in Dongnae-gu, Busan. Geumjeongseonwon Temple was first founded in 1924 by the monk Gwon-u as a place for prayer. While there is no written record about the temple’s history before 1924, it’s believed that the site was once home to another temple in the past. The site of the location is also believed to have once been the location of the execution grounds of Dongnae-bu during the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). As a result, it’s believed that the spirits of those that had been executed cry…
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Yeongjuam Hermitage – 영주암 (Suyeong-gu, Busan)
Hermitage History Yeongjuam Hermitage is located in Suyeong-gu, Busan in the southern foothills of Mt. Baesan (256.3 m). As for the name of the hermitage, it’s a transliteration of Mt. Yingzhou, or “Yeongjusan” in Korean. This legendary mountain in China was a place where Taoist Immortals (Sinseon) are said to have resided and practiced. So because of its picturesque location, Yeongjuam Hermitage is said to resemble Mt. Yingzhou. Yeongjuam Hermitage was first founded in 1540, and it was originally nothing more than a cave. In 1850, a monk founded a hermitage on these grounds as a place to practice; however, neither its name nor its halls still exist. At this…