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Mitaam Hermitage – 미타암 (Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Hermitage History and Myths Mitaam Hermitage is located on the eastern slopes of Mt. Cheonseongsan (922 m) in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. The hermitage is named after Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise). Mitaam Hermitage was first established by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.). In addition to Mitaam Hermitage, Wonhyo-daesa built eighty-nine other temples and hermitages on Mt. Cheonseongsan (One Thousand Saints Mountain) which includes Hongryongsa Temple. The hermitage was later expanded in 921 A.D. by the monk Jijong. It was expanded again in 1238 A.D. by the monk Jungjin. Mitaam Hermitage, and more specifically, the 8th century stone standing statue of Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise) and…
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Singwangsa Temple – 신광사 (Geoje-do, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Singwangsa Temple is located on the southern coast, on the western side, of Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do. Specifically, Singwangsa Temple is situated on the western portion of Mt. Baekamsan (494.6 m). According to the temple website, the location of Singwangsa Temple has long been regarded as a sacred place for the worship of Buddhism. Singwangsa Temple dates back to the 1930’s, when a farmer, while digging a pond, discovered the Oryang Stone Buddha Statue. This stone Buddha statue dates back to either Later Silla (668-935 A.D.) or the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). This statue was designated Gyeongsangnam-do Tangible Cultural Heritage #48 in 1972. More recently, Singwangsa Temple underwent extensive building during…
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Yong – Dragons: 용
Introduction One of the most common things you’ll find at a Korean Buddhist temple is a dragon. You can find them in paintings, statues, adornments, latticework around shrine halls and even under bridges. So why do you find so many dragons at a Korean Buddhist temple? History of the Korean Dragon As Buddhism started to migrate eastward from India, it started to take on local influences and forms. One great example of this can be seen when Buddhism started to spread throughout China during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.). When Buddhism entered into China, the dragon first came as a Naga. Naga, as in Hinduism, takes the…
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Daewonsa Temple – 대원사 (Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Daewonsa Temple is located in northern Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do. More specifically, it’s located southeast of the diminutive Mt. Obongsan (177.7 m) near Chilpo Beach. Before the modern Daewonsa Temple was built, the site was occupied by a much older temple, which according to local legend, was dismantled during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in 1510. The former temple was dismantled at this point because the land was needed to house the Japanese military. As for the present temple, Daewonsa Temple, it was first constructed in 1945 just after Japanese colonization (1910-1945) of the peninsula came to an end. Temple Layout As you first approach the temple grounds over the Gohyeon-cheon…
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Muryangsa Temple – 무량사 (Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do)
Temple History Muryangsa Temple is located in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do at the foot of Mt. Mansusan (575 m). The name of the temple is in reference to Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise). One of the halls that Amita-bul can reside in at a Korean Buddhist temple is called a Muryangsu-jeon Hall, which means “Immeasurable Life Hall” in English. The exact date that Muryangsa Temple was first built is unknown; however, it was first built during the reign of King Munseong of Silla (r. 839-857 A.D.). It was first built by the Beomil-guksa (National Preceptor). Muryangsa Temple was later renovated and expanded during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). At this time,…
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Yongmunsa Temple – 용문사 (Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History and Myth Yongmunsa Temple, which means “Dragon Gate Temple” in English, is located in Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do to the south-west of Mt. Sobaeksan (1439.6 m). Yongmunsa Temple was first established in 870 A.D. by the monk Duun-daesa. Initially, the Daejang-jeon Hall was first built at the temple in 1173 to house the first set of the Tripitaka Koreana. This set was eventually destroyed in 1232 during the Mongol Invasions of Korea (1231-1270). The second set of the Tripitaka Koreana was started in 1237, and it was completed twelve years later. In 1398, the completed set was moved to Haeinsa Temple, where they have been ever since. During the Later…
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Boriam Hermitage – 보리암 (Namhae, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Hermitage History and Myth Boriam Hermitage is located on Mt. Geumsan (704.9 m) in the southern part of Namhae, Gyeongsangnam-do. Boriam Hermitage was first established in 683 A.D. by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.) near the end of his life. Wonhyo-daesa was drawn to this location because of the amazing appearance of the mountain. Wonhyo-daesa saw light emitting from the mountain. Wonhyo-daesa described this light as a “light beyond description.” So he named the mountain Mt. Bogwangsan, and he named the new temple Bogwangwa Temple. Boriam Hermitage gained famed as the site where General Yi Seong-gye (King Taejo), who would become the founding king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910),…
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Pagyesa Temple – 파계사 (Dong-gu, Daegu)
Temple History Pagyesa Temple is located on the famed Mt. Palgongsan (1192.3 m) in northern Daegu. In fact, Pagyesa Temple is situated to the north-west of Donghwasa Temple. Pagyesa Temple was first established in 804 A.D. by the monk Simji. The name of the temple is in reference to Pungsu-jiri, or a Korean form of geomancy. So the word “Pagye” means to stop the energy of the Earth from flowing away through the stream that run down the valley on either side of Pagyesa Temple. Pagyesa Temple was destroyed in 1595 during the Imjin War (1592-1598). The temple was rebuilt in 1605 by the monk Gyegwan, which culminated in the…
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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…
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Sinheungsa Temple – 신흥사 (Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History and Myth Sinheungsa Temple in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, which shouldn’t be confused with the more famous temple of the same name in Sokcho, Gangwon-do, means “New Enjoyment Temple” in English. Sinheungsa Temple is located on the foot of Mt. Yeongchuksan (1081 m) on the western side of the mountain. If this mountain sounds familiar, it should, as it houses Tongdosa Temple on the eastern side of Mt. Yeongchuksan. There are some that claim that Sinheungsa Temple was first established in 301 A.D. during the Gaya Confederacy (42-532 A.D.). And while it’s plausible, it’s highly unlikely with the introduction of Buddhism entering into the neighbouring kingdoms of the Baekje Kingdom…