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Eunjeoksa Temple – 은적사 (Nam-gu, Daegu)
Temple History Eunjeoksa Temple is located in Nam-gu, Daegu to the northeast of Mt. Apsan (658.7 m). Eunjeoksa Temple means “Hidden Traces Temple” in English, and it’s related to the founding of the temple. At the end of Unified Silla (668-935 A.D.), and during the Later Three Kingdoms (890s-936 A.D.), King Gyeon Hwon of Later Baekje (r. 892-935 A.D.) decided to invade Silla. In response, King Gyeongae of Silla (r. 924-927 A.D.) requested the military aid of Wang Geon, who would eventually go on to become King Taejo of Goryeo (918-943 A.D.). Wang Geon would lead his troops to Daegu. However, while advancing towards Donghwasa Temple on Mt. Palgongsan, Wang…
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Hansansa Temple – 한산사 (Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Hansansa Temple is located in northern Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do to the south of Sinseon-bong Peak (615.3 m). According to the “Gazetteer of Agyang-myeon” (Agyang-myeonji), Hansansa Temple is presumed to have first been built during the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C. – 935 A.D.). According to local oral tradition, the temple was first founded in 544 A.D. One story relates how a monk from Hwaeomsa Temple first built Hansansa Temple. It’s also stated that the temple was moved from its original location to its current location because of a bedbug infestation. However, there is no evidence to prove or disprove these assertions. While there are no direct historical records about Hansansa…
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Cheongnyangsa Temple – 청량사 (Bonghwa, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Cheongnyangsa Temple is located in eastern Bonghwa, Gyeongsangbuk-do to the east of Mt. Cheongnyangsan (869.7 m). As for the name of the mountain, Mt. Cheongnyangsa Temple, where the temple is located, it comes from China’s Huayan Ling Mountain. Another reference comes from the Avatamsaka Sutra (Hwaeom-gyeong), which states that the Pure Land of Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom) lies to the east of Mt. Cheongnyangsan. Additionally, and according to pungsu-jiri (geomancy, Feng Shui), Cheongnyangsa Temple is located in one of the most auspicious locations. It’s located near twelve peaks known as “Yukyuk-bong” in Korean. As a result, these peaks are said to be formed like lotus petals around…
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Seobongsa Temple – 서봉사 (Nam-gu, Daegu)
Temple History Seobongsa Temple is located in Nam-gu, Daegu, and it belongs to the Jogye-jong Buddhist Order. Some say that the temple was first founded in 1903; however, the exact date is unknown. According to temple records, these records state that Seobongsa Temple was founded on July 15, 1914. But this, too, can’t be definitively confirmed. It’s been estimated by others that Seobongsa Temple was first founded in 1920 as a small hermitage. The founder of Seobongsa Temple was a laywoman named Kim Chohyang. Purportedly, she was a former gisaeng (female entertainer). She established Seobongam Hermitage (the former name of the temple) in an act to be remembered after she…
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Bodeokam Hermitage – 보덕암 (Gyeongju)
Hermitage History Bodeokam Hermitage is located in eastern Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do to the north of Mt. Bunggeumsan (275.8 m). There is no exact written record about the founding of Bodeokam Hermitage. However, from an inscription that was created for the Dharma Hall rebuilt in 1925, it reads, “From the era of Silla’s founding to the reign of Queen Seondeok [r. 632-647 A.D.], over a thousand years have passed.” This suggests that the hermitage may have been first established during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla. Additionally, the hermitage recently changed its name from Gukguam Hermitage to that of Bodeokam Hermitage. This change is also chronicled in the inscription from the…
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Anilsa Temple – 안일사 (Nam-gu, Daegu)
Temple History Anilsa Temple, which means “Peace and Ease Temple” in English, is located to the north of Mt. Apsan (658.7m) in Nam-gu, Daegu. As for how the temple got its name, it’s believed that King Taejo of Goryeo (r. 918 – 943 A.D.) suffered a crushing defeat against King Gyeon Hwon of Later Baekje (r. 892-935 A.D.) at the Battle of Gongsan. Initially, King Taejo hid at the neighbouring Eunjiksa Temple. Restless, he later travelled to Anilsa Temple, which is surrounded by rock formations that appear like folding screens. This defensive position gave King Taejo peace of mind, so he was finally able to relax. Even today, about 500…
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Ugoksa Temple – 우곡사 (Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Ugoksa Temple is located to the south of the Seocheon-jeosuji Reservoir in northeastern Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do. And to the west, you’ll find Mt. Naejeongbyeongsan (493m). In English, Ugoksa Temple means “Ox Valley Temple.” It’s believed that Ugoksa Temple was first founded in 832 A.D. by Muyeom-guksa (801-888 A.D.). He built the temple as a place to help train future generations of Buddhist monks. After the founding of the temple, very few records about the history of Ugoksa Temple exist. However, Ugoksa Temple does appear in the “Beomugo – 梵宇攷,” which is an historical text that was compiled in 1799. Because Ugoksa Temple is mentioned as being located on Mt.…
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Bomunsa Temple – 보문사 (Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Temple History Bomunsa Temple in Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which shouldn’t be confused with the dozens of other temples in Korea with the exact same name, is located to the northwest of Mt. Bomunsan (642.5 m). Bomunsa Temple is believed to have first been founded in 676 A.D. by the famed monk Uisang-daesa (625-702 A.D.). However, there is very little evidence to support this claim. Instead, it’s more likely that one of Uisang-daesa’s disciples actually first founded Bomunsa Temple. Either way, it’s believed that Bomunsa Temple is the oldest temple in the city of Yecheon. During the mid-Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), the famed monk Jinul (1158-1210), who was also known as Bojo-guksa, stayed…
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Seoyugi-do – “Journey to the West” Murals: 서유기도
Introduction In the Yonghwa-jeon Hall at Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, there is a collection of over 30 paintings adorning its interior walls. Of these paintings, it’s the seven larger paintings that adorn the east and west walls that stand out for their originality and age. According to “A Study of the Journey to the West Painting in Yonghwa-jeon Hall at Tongdosa Temple” by Choi Mina, these seven paintings are dedicated to the “Journey to the West” (西遊記圖), which are a collection of stories written in the 16th century and traditionally attributed to Wu Cheng’en (吳承恩, c. 1500–1582). Originally, these tales were passed down as Chinese folk legends before being…
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Anguksa Temple – 안국사 (Hamyang, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Anguksa Temple in Hamyang, Gyeongsangnam-do is one of several temples with this exact same name in Korea. As for this Anguksa Temple, it’s located on the western slopes of Mt. Geumdaesan (851.5m) near Geumdaeam Hermitage. Anguksa Temple was first founded in 1403 by the monk Haenghojo, who built the temple in hopes of stabilizing Joseon (1392-1910), which had just formed a few years prior. On August 29, 1598, and during the Imjin War (1592-98), about 500 Japanese soldiers entered the Mt. Jirisan region and burned the temple down along with Geumdaeam Hermitage. Although it was later rebuilt, the temple would eventually be destroyed by fire in 1947. It…