Juksa Temple – 죽사 (Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do)
Temple History
Juksa Temple, which means “Bamboo Temple” in English, is located on the southern slopes of Mt. Biryongsan in western Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do. Geographically, it’s located near the summit of Mt. Biryongsan with a large rock wall rising on the eastern side of the grounds. This natural rock feature almost appears to encircle the temple, in part, like a folding screen. There are no surviving records about when the temple was first founded, but according to one theory, Juksa Temple was first founded by the monk Dogam-guksa during the reign of King Uija of Baekje (r. 641-660 A.D.). However, since there is no record of a monk named Dogam that lived in the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-660 A.D.), it’s presumed that Juksa Temple was established in more modern times. Initially, Juksa Temple was used as a place for meditation. Juksa Temple was named as one of the 982 traditional Korean Buddhist temples on June 18th, 1988. Currently, the temple serves as a training centre for nuns.
Temple Legend
While Juksa Temple doesn’t have much of a recorded history, it does have one of the more interesting legends. According to a temple legend, there was a race between a rock and bamboo to see who could reach the top of the mountain the fastest. The bamboo, though slender and seemingly precarious, climbed quickly up the mountain. Meanwhile, the rock spread out wide as it ascended. Just as the rock was about to win the race, a dragon living on the mountain, finding it difficult to move because of the rock’s actions, flew up into the sky and struck the rock with a bolt of lightning. This caused the rock to falter. Taking advantage of this moment, the bamboo won the race. Juksa Temple, which means “Bamboo Temple” in English, was named after this race. Also, Mt. Biryongsan, which means “Flying Dragon Mountain” in English, was named after the destructive dragon from the temple legend.
Temple Layout
You first make your way to Juksa Temple from the temple parking lot up a mountainside set of stairs. Eventually, you’ll come to a diminutive Iljumun Gate that’s adorned in simplistic dancheong colours. Having passed through the entry gate, you’ll have entered the lower courtyard at Juksa Temple. It’s from here that you can enjoy some views of the valley below. And looking up, you can see the main hall. Housed in the lower courtyard is the Beomjong-gak Hall. This pavilion houses the stout bronze bell at the temple. Also in this area are the nuns’ dorms.
Up another set of stairs to the right, and then to the left, you’ll enter the upper courtyard at Juksa Temple. Before making your way to the main hall to your left, you’ll pass by an outdoor shrine dedicated to Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit). The stone image of Sanshin is located under a rocky outcropping.
Continuing along the pathway to your left, you’ll come to the Geukrak-jeon Hall. The exterior walls of the main hall are adorned in understated dancheong colours. Stepping inside the Geukrak-jeon Hall, you’ll find a triad of statues on the main altar underneath a compact datjib (canopy). The central image is that of Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise). This central image is joined on either side by statues of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) and Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife). To the right of the main altar is a modern mural dedicated to Dokseong (The Lonely Saint). And hanging on the far right wall is an elaborate Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural) that dates back to 1986. To the left of the main altar, on the other hand, is a painting dedicated to Chilseong (The Seven Stars). And if you look at the top right corner of this painting, you’ll find a jovial image of Bukseong (The North Star). Hanging on the far left wall is a mural dedicated to Jijang-bosal. This painting was created in 1977.
Heading back down the trail, and to the right of the outdoor Sanshin shrine, you’ll find a trail that leads you up towards the large rock that looks like a folding screen. The mountain in this area is filled with tiny caves; one of which, is purportedly where the dragon from the legend resided. It’s also in this area, and at the base of the large rock, that you’ll find an all-white image of Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise).
How To Get There
From the Seosan Bus Terminal, you can take Bus #801 to get to Juksa Temple. You’ll need to take this bus for 22 stop over 25 minutes and get off at the “Seong 2-ri – 성2리 하차” bus stop. From where the bus drops you off, you’ll need to walk about 400 metres first to the east and then to the north. The hike to the north is uphill so be prepared.
Overall Rating: 6/10
Included with the unique temple legend are some beautiful views from the heights of Juksa Temple. In addition to the views, you can also enjoy the artwork inside the Geukrak-jeon Hall, the outdoor shrine dedicated to Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit), as well as the folding screen-like rock on the eastern portion of the temple grounds. It all makes for a nice, compact, visit to a lesser known temple in a lesser known city in western Chungcheongnam-do.
