Yongamsa Temple – 용암사 (Paju, Gyeonggi-do)
Temple History
Yongamsa Temple is located in eastern Paju, Gyeonggi-do to the west of Mt. Bakdalsan (363 m). Although the exact date of the temple’s founding is unknown, it does seem to be closely linked to the creation of the “Two Rock-Carved Standing Buddhas in Yongmi-ri, Paju,” which is believed to date back to the 11th century.
Although there are no records about the temple from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), it is known that Yongamsa Temple was destroyed during the Imjin War (1592-98) and later rebuilt on the old temple site in 1936. The Daeung-jeon Hall was constructed in 1979. And a year later, the mural dedicated to Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife) and the Gamno-do (Sweet Dew Mural) were created and placed inside the Daeung-jeon Hall. This was followed by the construction of the Beomjong-ru Pavilion in 1984. Additionally, a statue of a child-like Buddha and a seven-story stone pagoda were made at the temple in 1953 to commemorate the visit that the former President Syngman Rhee (1875-1965) had at the temple and the “Two Rock-Carved Standing Buddhas in Yongmi-ri, Paju.”
Yongamsa Temple is home to one Korean Treasure, it’s the “Two Rock-Carved Standing Buddhas in Yongmi-ri, Paju,” which is Korean Treasure #93. Also, Yongamsa Temple is one of the 982 traditional Buddhist temples in Korea.
Temple Legend
There is a legend directly connected to Yongamsa Temple and the “Two Rock-Carved Standing Buddhas in Yongmi-ri, Paju” on the temple grounds. The two Buddhas stand at a maximum height of 17.4 meters. The Buddha with the round-hat is purportedly a male Buddha, while the other with the square-hat is a female Buddha. During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), King Seonjong of Goryeo (r. 1083–1094) married Princess Wonsin; however, they were unable to have a child.
One day, the worried princess had a dream where she met two Buddhist monks who had attained spiritual enlightenment. They said to her, “We live between some rocks on the southern slope of Mt. Jangjisan. We are very hungry. Give us something to eat.” Then they disappeared. The princess thought this dream so strange that she told the king about it. The king immediately sent courtiers off to Mt. Jangjisan to inspect the location for themselves. While there, they found two big rocks standing side-by-side. Suddenly, the exact same monks as before reappeared and instructed the courtiers to make a sculpture from the big rocks. The left statue was to be Mireuk-bul (The Future Buddha), while the right rock was to be Mireuk-bosal (The Future Buddha Bodhisattva). The monks told the courtiers that anyone who prayed and made offerings to these two images would have their wishes come true. This was especially true of those that wanted children, and those who were ill and need to be healed.
Upon the courtiers return to the royal court, the king ordered the two images of the Buddhas to be carved onto these large rocks, build a temple, and to also present an offering to Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha) at the newly constructed temple. That year, Prince Hansan was born.
Temple Layout
You first make your way up the temple road and around the stately Iljumun Gate. A little further up, but before you come to the main temple courtyard, you’ll find the Beomjong-gak Hall to your right. Housed inside the Beomjong-gak Hall is a tall, but slender, bronze bell.
A little further up the road, and you’ll finally come to the main temple courtyard. Housed in front of the Daeung-jeon Hall are two modern pagodas. The pagoda to the left is a replica of Dabo-tap Pagoda at Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, while the pagoda to the right is the slender seven-story pagoda. The base of the pagoda is adorned with reliefs of guardians, while just above these four images are reliefs of dragons. As for the body stones of the structure, there are relief images of Birojana-bul (The Buddha of Cosmic Energy).
As for the Daeung-jeon Hall, the exterior walls are adorned with simplistic Shimu-do (Ox-Herding Murals). Stepping inside the main hall, you’ll find a main altar triad centred by Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha). This image is joined on either side by statues of Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power), who is riding a white six-tusked elephant; and Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom), who is riding a blue lion. And hanging on the far right wall, you’ll find a modern Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural).
To the left of the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll find the temple’s Samseong-gak Hall. The central image inside the shaman shrine hall is dedicated to Chilseong (The Seven Stars). To the left is an image of Dokseong (The Lonely Saint), and to the right you’ll find a painting of Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit). What’s interesting about this painting dedicated to Sanshin is that the Mountain Spirit rides a white tiger with a stout nose and fiery orangish-blue eyes.
It’s between the Daeung-jeon Hall and the Samseong-gak Hall that you’ll find a set of winding stairs that lead up to the “Two Rock-Carved Standing Buddhas in Yongmi-ri, Paju.” The two images of the Buddha were carved onto a large natural rock wall. Because they are carved on natural stone, the bodies of the two Buddhas are disproportionate in size. The highest point of the “Two Rock-Carved Standing Buddhas in Yongmi-ri, Paju” is 17.4 metres in height.
The “rounded-hat” Buddha statue on the left is wearing a traditional Korean hat. Its neck is cylindrical in shape, and its hands are holding a lotus flower to its chest. And the robe that it wears is draped over both of its shoulders. The Buddha to the right, on the other hand, the “square-hat” Buddha, is wearing a square-shaped traditional Korean hat. It’s sculpted in a similar style to the other statue except its two hands are pressed together, as if it’s praying. It’s slightly shorter in height, but it has a similar style robe to the Buddha image on the left.
In 1995, there were three inscriptions discovered on the statues that dated back to 1471. These inscriptions suggest that the statues might not have been first made during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392); but instead, they might have been first carved in 1465 to represent King Sejo of Joseon (1455-68) and his queen, Queen Jeonghui (1418-83), in the form of Mireuk-bul (The Future Buddhas). The inscriptions are located in three different places. The first is located on the side of the rock where the statue with the square-hat is located. This inscription reads: “In the seventh year of Seonghwa, in July…” Another inscription is located below the statue with the round-hat. This inscription reads: “In the future, Mireuk-bul [The Future Buddha], the great saint, Great King Sejo will be reborn in the Pure Land.” And the final inscription, which is located underneath the statue with the square-hat reads: “Long life to His Majesty…” With all this said, however, this theory hasn’t yet been proven definitively.
How To Get There
From the Gupabal Subway Station stop #320, which is located on line #3 of the Seoul subway system, you’ll need to go out exit #3 and take Bus #774 to Yongamsa Temple. You’ll need to take this bus for 34 stops, or 43 minutes, and get off at the “Yongamsa, Yongmiri-maaeibulipsang – 용암사, 용미리마애이불입상 하차” bus stop. From where the bus drops you off, you’ll need to walk about one hundred metres to the temple grounds.
Overall Rating: 7/10
By far, the main highlight to Yongamsa Temple is the “Two Rock-Carved Standing Buddhas in Yongmi-ri, Paju.” While not as refined as the “Stone Standing Maitreya Bodhisattva of Gwanchoksa Temple,” or even the “Stone Standing Maitreya Bodhisattva of Daejosa Temple,” it is beautiful and grand in its own right. In addition to these two tall statues, you can also enjoy the white tiger in the Sanshin (Mountain Spirit) painting, as well as the bronze bell inside the Beomjong-gak Hall.
