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 about 30 years. Afterwards, their descendants continued to maintain the temple for another decade before it fell into disrepair and was eventually abandoned.

In 1975, a Buddhist monk named Gosan visited this location in search of a future temple site. It was during this search that he discovered the old temple site. After this discovery, Gosan started the construction of the new temple on the old temple site. This led to the establishment of Hyewonjeongsa Temple, as we know it today. In total, the size of the entire temple grounds is 33,000 square metres.

Hyewonjeongsa Temple is one of the 982 traditional temples in Korea. Additionally, Hyewonjeongsa Temple is home to one municipal treasure, the “Hyewonjeongsa Palsang-do,” which is a Busan Metropolitan City Cultural Heritage Materials.

Temple Layout

You’ll first approach Hyewonjeongsa Temple up a side street. Surprisingly, the temple is much larger than I thought, even though it’s tucked away. You’re first greeted at the temple by a two-story structure. The first story acts as the Cheonwangmun Gate, while the second story acts as the Beomjong-gak Pavilion. The exterior walls to the Cheonwangmun Gate are adorned in murals dedicated to various guardians. Stepping inside the entry gate, you’ll see modern statues of the Four Heavenly Kings. Off-limits, but still visible to the public, is the large bronze bell inside the second story of the structure.

Having passed through the entry gate, you’ll enter into the lower courtyard. This lower courtyard is occupied by statues of Podae-hwasang (The Hempen Bag), a triad relief centred by Yaksayeorae-bul (The Medicine Buddha, and the Buddha of the Eastern Paradise), as well as a pair of stone lanterns. As for the structures in the lower courtyard, you’ll find a daycare and lecture hall to the right, while to the left you’ll find the Geukrak-jeon Hall.

The exterior of the Geukrak-jeon Hall is adorned in simple dancheong colours. And at the base of the entry doors, you’ll find vibrant paintings of Gwimyeon (Monster Masks). Stepping inside, and with the main altar facing east to west and behind a class enclosure, you’ll find a triad of statues centred by Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise). This central image is then flanked on either side by images of Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife) and Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). And hanging on the far left wall is a well-populated, modern Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural).

Purportedly, and to the left of the Geukrak-jeon Hall, you’ll find the temple’s Sanshin-gak Hall and the Nahan-jeon Hall. The reason I say purportedly is because I was unable to locate them. And the reason I was unable to locate them is because I didn’t know they existed. There’s not a lot of good signage at the temple. So just keep in mind, if you visit, that these two shrine halls are in this area.

In the upper courtyard of the temple grounds, you’ll find the Daeungbo-jeon Hall. The front floral latticework is stunning. At at the base of these entry doors, you’ll find weathered wooden reliefs of Gwimyeon. Surrounding the exterior walls, you’ll find two fading sets of images. The upper paintings are dedicated to the Palsang-do (The Eight Scenes from the Buddha’s Life Murals), while the lower set is from the Shimu-do (Ox-Herding Murals). Stepping inside, you’ll find a golden main altar relief fronted by a triad of statues. The larger statue in the centre is dedicated to Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha). This central image is flanked by two smaller statues. One is of Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom), while the other is Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power). Also taking up residence inside the Daeungbo-jeon Hall is another Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural). As for the Daeungbo-jeon Hall, it was first constructed in 1989.

Surrounding the main hall, you’ll find a pair of statues. The first, which is actually a relief statue and is situated to the left rear of the Daeungbo-jeon Hall, is dedicated to Jijang-bosal. And to the right rear of the main hall, you’ll find a statue dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). In front of this statue, you’ll find a modern five-story pagoda. This stands in front of the Changnyeom-jeon Hall. This is a hall that stores relics of a recently deceased monk. To the left rear of the Daeungbo-jeon Hall, and next to the relief statue of Jijang-bosal, you’ll find the Myeomsim-jeon Hall, which serves as a meditation hall and residence for the monks at Hyewonjeongsa Temple.

Lastly, the “Hyewonjeongsa Palsang-do,”which appear to be off-limits to the general public, and is the only municipal treasure at the temple, was first created in 1925. The “Hyewonjeongsa Palsang-do” consist of eight panels that follow the traditional Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) style. Purportedly, they follow a similar style to the ones found in the Palsang-do at Songgwangsa Temple and Tongdosa Temple that were created in the 18th century.

How To Get There

From the Yeonsan subway station on the Busan subway line, which is stop #305 on Line 3 or stop #123 on Line 1. From this subway station, you’ll need to go out exit #10. From exit #10, you’ll need to walk east down “Gobun-ro – 구분로” street for about 350 metres. When you finally get to “Ssangmicheon-ro – 쌍미천로” street, you’ll need to walk down it for 350 metres. You’ll eventually need to cross the road and go down “Myobongsan-ro – 묘봉산로” street for the final 350 metres. Near the end of the street, and on your left, you’ll find Hyewonjeongsa Temple. In total, the walk is 1.05 km, or 16 minutes.

And if you’d rather take a taxi from the Yeonsan subway station, it’ll take 5 minutes, or 1.2 km, and it’ll cost you around 4,800 won (one way).

Overall Rating: 6/10

While Hyewonjeongsa Temple is relatively new in comparison to other traditional temples in Korea, it still does have a few nice features like the interior and exterior of the Daeungbo-jeon Hall, the interior of the Geukrak-jeon Hall, the two-story entry gate, and the pair of statues to the rear of the main hall. Hyewonjeongsa Temple is a busy temple in a busy part of Busan. So if this is your vibe, then Hyewonjeongsa Temple is perfect for you. Additionally, Gamcheonsa Temple is a mere 100 metres to the east of Hyewonjeongsa Temple.