Seongwangsa Temple – 선광사 (Sasang-gu, Busan)
Temple History
Seongwangsa Temple is located in Sasang-gu, Busan in the western foothills of Mt. Baekyangsan (641.3 m). It’s unclear as to when the temple was first built, but it’s one of the 973 traditional Buddhist temples in Korea. Also, it’s a temple that belongs to the Beophwa-jong Buddhist Order. Recently, Seongwangsa Temple changed its name from Yaksasa Temple to Seongwangsa Temple to differentiate it from the neighbouring Yaksuam Hermitage. In February, 2011, Seongwangsa Temple had a ceremony to enshrine the large Maae Buddha at the top of the temple grounds.
Temple Layout
You first make your way up a pretty treacherous road to get to Seongwangsa Temple. Eventually arriving in the temple parking lot, you’ll be welcomed by a pair of standing stone statues of Geumgang-yeoksa (Vajra Warriors). Continuing up the road and past a stone relief of a tiger, you’ll notice a large collection of buildings including the main hall: the administrative office, the monks’ dorms, and the main hall. The three buildings are clumped together into one indiscernible mass.
The main hall at Seongwangsa Temple is the Yonghwa-jeon Hall, which plays to the temple’s focus on Mireuk-bul (The Future Buddha). The exterior walls to the Yonghwa-jeon Hall are a combination of murals that include the Shimu-do (Ox-Herding Murals) and the Palsang-do (The Eight Scenes from the Buddha’s Life Murals). Stepping inside the Yonghwa-jeon Hall, you’ll notice a main altar triad centred by Mireuk-bul (The Future Buddha). This central image is joined on either side by images of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) and Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom). Fronting this main altar triad on either side are a pair of diminutive wooden pagodas all of which are situated under a large, elaborate datjib (canopy). To the right of the main altar is a golden image dedicated to a multi-armed and headed Gwanseeum-bosal. This golden painting is fronted by a statue of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, as well. And hanging on the far right wall is an elaborate, golden Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural). To the left of the main altar, on the other hand, is a green-haired statue dedicated to Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife). And this seated image is backed by a stunning, golden mural dedicated to both Jijang-bosal and the Siwang (The Ten Kings of the Underworld). There’s also a collection of murals of monks that are prominent in the Beophwa-jong Buddhist Order including the Bodhidharma.
To the left of the Yonghwa-jeon Hall, and a bit hidden, is the entryway that leads up to the shaman shrine halls at Seongwangsa Temple. The first of these shaman shrine halls is the Sanshin-gak Hall. Housed inside the Sanshin-gak Hall is one of the most impressive modern murals dedicated to Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit). In total, there are twelve different images of Sanshin. And of these twelve, four are female Sanshin. Hanging on the far left wall is an additional image of a solitary Sanshin. I was told that there were so many Sanshin inside the Sanshin-gak Hall because the energy from the mountain, Mt. Baekyangsan, is so powerful.
Near this Sanshin-gak Hall is the Chilseong/Dokseong-gak Hall. The image of Chilseong (The Seven Stars) is rather traditional in design, while the image of Dokseong (The Lonely Saint) is painted directly onto the face of the mountain. Pretty sure I haven’t seen that before.
To the left of these two shaman shrine halls, and if you continue up the mountain trail, you’ll find an outdoor shrine dedicated to Yongwang (The Dragon King). A stone statue of Yongwang sits inside an alcove of stones.
Behind the Yonghwa-jeon Hall, on the other hand, is the Gwaneum-jeon Hall. The exterior walls to this temple shrine hall are painted in simple dancheong colours. Looking inside the Gwaneum-jeon Hall, you’ll find thirty-three different statues dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). This includes a beautiful, golden image of the Bodhisattva of Compassion on the main altar.
To the right of the Gwaneum-jeon Hall are two separate outdoor shrines. One has a seated image of Yaksayeorae-bul (The Medicine Buddha, and the Buddha of the Eastern Paradise) joined by a stupa. The other outdoor shrine has a large standing image of Gwanseeum-bosal joined by Podae-hwasang (The Hempen Bag) and Yongwang.
Up a flight of stairs, and to the left, you’ll find the newly constructed Maae Buddha. The large central image that was constructed in 2011 is dedicated to Mireuk-bul (The Future Buddha). To the right is an image of Gwanseeum-bosal. And to the left, you’ll find a smaller image dedicated to Sanshin. It’s also from these heights that you’ll get great views of both the Nakdong River and Gimhae both situated to the west.
How To Get There
The easiest way to get to Seongwangsa Temple is to take a taxi from the Modeok Subway Station, stop #229, on the second line. The taxi ride should take about 5 minutes and cost you around 5,000 won (one way).
But if you’d rather walk, you can take exit #2 at the Modeok Subway Station and head east towards Mt. Baekyangsan. Eventually, you’ll see the Daedeok Girls High School – 대덕여자고학교. To the south of this high school, you should be able to see the signs leading up to Seongwangsa Temple. In total, the walk should take about 25 minutes over 1.2 km some of which is uphill.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
Seongwangsa Temple seems a bit cluttered. But if you have the patience, there’s a lot to see at this unknown temple including the twelve images of Sanshin inside the Sanshin-gak Hall. In addition to the main highlight, the Sanshin Taenghwa, you can also enjoy the golden interior of the Yonghwa-jeon Hall and the numerous stone statues at Seongwangsa Temple including the newly made relief of Mireuk-bul.
