• Jeollanam-do

    Muwisa Temple – 무위사 (Gangjin, Jeollanam-do)

    Temple History Muwisa Temple is located in the southern portion of the picturesque Wolchulsan National Park in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do. According to both the Cultural Hermitage Administration website and the Muwisa Sajeok (The History of Muwisa Temple), the temple was first built in 617 A.D. by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.) and named Gwaneumsa Temple (The Bodhisattva of Compassion Temple). But this is hard to believe for a couple of reasons. First, Wonhyo-daesa would have been just a one year old when he first built Muwisa Temple. And as accomplished as he was as a Buddhist monk, this stretches the limits of credulity. Additionally, Wonhyo-daesa was a Silla monk. The…

  • Jeollanam-do

    Cheoneunsa Temple – 천은사 (Gurye, Jeollanam-do)

    Temple History Cheoneunsa Temple is located northwest of the famed Hwaeomsa Temple in Gurye, Jeollanam-do. Cheoneunsa Temple is one of the three major temples located inside Jirisan National Park grounds alongside Ssanggyesa Temple and the aforementioned Hwaeomsa Temple. Cheoneunsa Temple, which means “Hidden Spring Temple” in English, was first founded in 828 A.D. Cheoneunsa Temple was founded by an Indian monk named Deokun. At this time, the temple was known as Gamnosa Temple. It was called Gamnosa Temple because of the spring water that people could drink from in front of the Geukrakbo-jeon Hall. Purportedly, this spring water could clear your mind because it was both clean and cold like…

  • Jeollanam-do

    Mihwangsa Temple – 미황사 (Haenam, Jeollanam-do)

    Temple History Mihwangsa Temple, which means “Beautiful Yellow Temple” in English, is located in Haenam, Jeollanam-do. According to the temple myth from the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), which is one of the more interesting temple myths that you’ll find in Korea, Mihwangsa Temple was first founded in 749 A.D. Mihwangsa Temple, which is located to the west of Mt. Dalmasan (489 m), is the southernmost temple on the mainland Korean peninsula. Also, Mihwangsa Temple enjoys beautiful views of the South Sea off in the distance. As for the creation myth surrounding Mihwangsa Temple, which also gives the temple its name, it’s definitely one of the most intriguing…

  • Jeollanam-do

    Dogapsa Temple – 도갑사 (Yeongam, Jeollanam-do)

    Temple History Dogapsa Temple is located in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do in Wolchulsan National Park. The temple was established in 880 A.D. by Doseon-guksa (827-898 A.D.). Originally, the temple site was home to a temple called Munsusa Temple, which was named after the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Munsu-bosal. In fact, during a recent excavation that took place in 1999, there were roof tiles that date back to the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C. to 660 A.D.) that were discovered to the rear of the temple grounds. This helped prove that a temple existed on the site that Dogapsa Temple now occupies predating Later Silla (668-935 A.D.). Munsusa Temple was where Doseon-guksa spent his childhood.…

  • Jeollanam-do

    Borimsa Temple – 보림사 (Jangheung, Jeollanam-do)

    Temple History Borimsa Temple, which means “Treasure Forest Temple” in English, is located in Jangheung, Jeollanam-do. Located just south of Mt. Gajisan (509.9 m), Borimsa Temple was first established in 759 A.D. by the monk Wonpyo-daedeok. At this time, the temple was nothing more than a hermitage, and it was called Gajisansa Temple. Like all great temples in Korea, Borimsa Temple has an interesting creation myth. One day, after returning to the Korean peninsula after studying in both India and China, Wonpyo-daedeok was looking for a place to construct a temple. He visited Mt. Gajisan (not to be confused with the one in Ulsan). While traveling around this location, a…

  • Jeollanam-do

    Taeansa Temple – 태안사 (Gokseong, Jeollanam-do)

    Temple History Taeansa Temple, which is located on Mt. Bongdusan (753.8 m), or Mt. Dongrisan (as the temple calls this mountain), in Gokseong, Jeollanam-do. And even though it’s several kilometres away from Mt. Jirisan (1915 m), the temple is still considered part of the greater Mt. Jirisan area. The name of the temple means “Great Peace Temple,” in English. According to historical documents, Taeansa Temple was first constructed in February, 742 A.D. by three master monks. Later, Great Meditation Master Hyecheol Jeogin-seonsa (785-861 A.D.), who received Buddhist teachings from Grand Master Seodang-jijang of Tang China, returned to the Silla Kingdom. He established Dongrisanmun, which was one of the Gusan Seonmun…

  • Jeollanam-do

    Daeheungsa Temple – 대흥사 (Haenam, Jeollanam-do)

    Temple History Daeheungsa Temple, which means “Great Emerging Temple,” in English, is located in Duryunsan Provincial Park on Mt. Duryunsan (700m), which means “Head Wheel Mountain,” in English. The temple is located in the city of Haenam, Jeollanam-do. Because the name of the mountain that Daeheungsa Temple is located on has also been called Mt. Daedunsan (673.4m), the name of the temple has alternated between Daedunsa Temple and Daeheungsa Temple. In 1993, the name of the temple, changed once more, from Daeheungsa Temple back to Daedunsa Temple. Finally, in 2003, it was changed to Daeheungsa Temple, perhaps for good? Throughout the years, the name of the mountain that hosts Daeheungsa…

  • Jeollanam-do

    Seonamsa Temple – 선암사 (Suncheon, Jeollanam-do)

    Temple History Seonamsa Temple means “Immortals Rock Temple,” in English. The name of the temple is in reference to a flat rock west of the temple where Taoist monks used to play baduk (Go). Seonamsa Temple is located on the western side of Jogyesan Provincial Park. And both Seonamsa Temple and Jogyesan Provincial Park are located in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do just like its famous neighbour: Songgwangsa Temple. There are two competing foundation stories as to how Seonamsa Temple was first built. One states that the missionary monk Ado-hwasang built a hermitage that was named Biroam Hermitage (The Buddha of Cosmic Energy Hermitage) in the same location as present day Seonamsa Temple…

  • Jeollanam-do

    Hyangiram Hermitage – 향일암 (Yeosu, Jeollanam-do)

    Hermitage History The coastal temple of Hyangiram Hermitage is located on the very southern tip of Dolsan-do Island in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do. Hyangiram Hermitage is perched in and among the cracks, crags and crevices of Mt. Geumosan (320.8m), which means “Iron Turtle Mountain,” in English. The hermitage was first founded in 644 A.D. by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.). It was here, at Hyangiram Hermitage, that Wonhyo-daesa had a vision of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). Another interesting story pertaining to Wonhyo-daesa relates to a rock called Gyeongjeon-bawi, or “Buddhist Scripture Rock,” in English. This rock is precariously placed on top of other rocks to the rear of the Hyangiram…

  • Jeollanam-do

    Unjusa Temple – 운주사 (Hwasun, Jeollanam-do)

    Temple History Unjusa Temple is located in rural Hwasun, Jeollanam-do. The name of the temple, Unjusa Temple, means “The Place Where Clouds Stay Temple,” in English. The exact date of the founding of Unjusa Temple is unknown; however, it’s widely believed to have been established sometime during the beginning of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) in the late 10th century or early 11th century. Circumstantial evidence indicates that the temple was created by the monk Hyemyeong. And the temple prospered until the 12th century. The oldest historical record about Unjusa Temple is found in the book “Sinjeung Donggukyeojiseungnam” (“A Revised Book on Geography and Scenic Sites in Korea,” in English, from 1530.…