• Gyeonggi-do

    Seoknamsa Temple – 석남사 (Anseong, Gyeonggi-do)

    Temple History Seoknamsa Temple in Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, not to be confused with the one in Ulsan with the same name, is located to the north of Mt. Seounsan (547.6 m). The temple was first founded in 680 A.D. by the monk Goseung Seokseon. It was later rebuilt by the monk Hyegeo in the early part of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). During the Goryeo Dynasty, hundreds of monks called Seoknamsa Temple home. During the early part of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Seoknamsa Temple remained intact despite the Confucian-oriented government policies of the Joseon court. While many other temples either fell into disrepair or were completely destroyed by this policy, Seoknamsa Temple…

  • Ulsan

    Seoknamsa Temple – 석남사 (Ulju-gun, Ulsan)

    Temple History Seoknamsa Temple, which is pronounced Seongnamsa, means “South Rock Temple” in English. The name of the temple is in reference to its southern location on Mt. Gajisan (1,240 m). Seoknamsa Temple was first established in 824 A.D. by the highly influential monk Doui-guksa (?-825 A.D.). It was built to pray for the nation. The temple continued to be enlarged until it was eventually destroyed in 1592 during the Imjin War (1592-1598). During the Imjin War, the temple was used as a centre for the training of the Righteous Army to help defend the area from the invading Japanese. Eventually, and in 1674, Seoknamsa Temple was rebuilt. And through…