Gyeongsangnam-do

Yongchusa Temple – 용추사 (Hamyang, Gyeongsangnam-do)

Yongchusa Temple in Hamyang, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Temple History

Yongchusa Temple is located up a long valley in northern Hamyang, Gyeongsangnam-do. The name of the temple, Yongchusa Temple, means “Dragon Pool Temple” in English. The temple was first founded in 487 A.D. by the monk Gakyeon-daesa, and it was originally known as Yongchuam Hermitage. It was built with the instruction to “practice and teach with a steadfast heart.” Yongchuam Hermitage was one of ten hermitages directly associated with Jangsusa Temple, which was located to the north.

During the late Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), the monk Muhak (1327-1405) renovated the temple and used it as a place of worship. In 1680, and during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Yongchusa Temple was destroyed by fire. The temple would be relocated to the lower part of the valley upon its reconstruction in 1681 by the monk Unheup and Suo. In 1684, the monk Munchan built the main hall, the Beopdang Hall. This was followed in 1685, through the efforts of the monks Mungan and Lee Yeongsaeng, when the statue of Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife) and the Siwang (The Ten Kings of the Underworld) were made. In 1686, the monk Kim Sangun constructed a pavilion at the temple. And in 1687, the monk Jichal built the Palsang-jeon Hall, the Four Heavenly Kings Gate, and the monks’ dorms.

In 1734, a fire damaged several buildings at Yongchusa Temple including the Daeung-jeon Hall, which was completely destroyed. Later, most of the temple shrine halls and buildings would be restored by the monks Hogyeong, Duin, and Yeongu. During this time, over 100 Buddhist scriptures, including the Lotus Sutra, were printed at the temple.

Later, the temple would be completely destroyed by fire during the Korean War (1950-53) in 1953 alongside Jangsusa Temple. All that remained of Jangsusa Temple was the Iljumun Gate. In 1959, when the temple was rebuilt, its name changed to that of Yongchusa Temple. Then in the late 1970s, the temple’s abbot, Hyeonjo, would oversee the construction of the new Daeung-jeon Hall. And restoration of the temple continues to the present-day.

Within the temple grounds, there are several hermitages directly associated with Yongchusa Temple. These include Doseolam Hermitage and Baeknyeonam Hermitage. Other hermitages like Seheungam Hermitage, Wonjeokam Hermitage, Gyeongseongam Hermitage, Yeongakam Hermitage, Bojeam Hermitage, Cheonjinam Hermitage, and Mujuam Hermitage are now only marked by their stone foundations. Unfortunately, these hermitages no longer exist.

Yongchusa Temple is home to two provincial treasures. They are the Iljumun Gate, which is Gyeongsangnam-do Tangible Cultural Asset #54; and the Shimwon-jeong, which is Gyeongsangnam-do Tangible Cultural Asset #382.

Yongchu-pokpo Waterfall out in front of Yongchusa Temple.

Waterfall Legend

There’s a legend about the Yongchu-pokpo Waterfall that’s located out in front of the Yongchusa Temple grounds. According to this legend, there once was a hornless dragon that lived under the pond. If it prayed for 108 days without eating anything, the hornless dragon would be able to grow horns and become a “true dragon.” The hornless dragon was able to withstand the hardship caused by praying for 108 days without eating, but it lost track of the exact amount of days that it was praying for. Finally, on the 107th day of praying, the hornless dragon flew up into the sky with great happiness, thinking it would soon become a “true dragon.” However, the hornless dragon was struck down by a bolt of lightning causing it to fall into the nearby Seodaegi-mot Pond in Wicheon-myeon. From that day forward, and for the next three years, people in the area had great harvests from the water in which the hornless dragon was now decaying.

Temple Layout

Making your way up the long valley, and before turning left as you near the temple grounds, you’ll first encounter the Iljumun Gate of Yongchusa Temple. The Iljumun Gate is located on a bit of a knoll. It’s presumed to have first been built in 1702, and it was later renovated in 1975. This gate originally served as the entrance to Jangsusa Temple, which was destroyed during the Korean War. At that time, Yongchusa Temple was just a hermitage directly associated with Jangsusa Temple. However, because Jangsusa Temple no longer exists, and the temple was renamed Yongchusa Temple when it was rebuilt, the Iljumun Gate now belongs to Yongchusa Temple, and the Iljumun Gate was moved to its present location in 1959. This Iljumun Gate is an outstanding example of the first entry gate at a Korean Buddhist temple. It has both a large and a majestic hip-and-gable roof. Below the roof, there is intricate wooden bracketing. Additionally, you’ll find clouds, lotus flowers, and phoenixes adorning the wooden surface of the Iljumun Gate.

Now having headed down the road to the left, and skirting the stream, you’ll come to the temple parking lot. To the east, and through the trees, you’ll see the Yongchu-pokpo Waterfall, measuring 30 metres in height, and the pooling water below has a diameter of 25 metres. There’s a set of stairs that allows you to get really close to the pooling waterfall. The area makes for some great pictures.

To the north, and beyond both the temple parking lot and the Yongchu-pokpo Waterfall in a bend in the road to the right, you’ll come to the main temple courtyard at Yongchusa Temple. Having walked the incline up towards the temple grounds, you’ll notice the administrative office and monks dorms straight ahead of you. It’s to the left, and beyond the stone wall, that you’ll enter into the main temple courtyard at Yongchusa Temple.

To the far left, you’ll find the compact Beomjong-gak Hall. Housed inside this bell pavilion is an equally stout bronze bell. To the right of the Beomjong-gak Hall is the Daeung-jeon Hall. Out in front of the Daeung-jeon Hall, and standing all alone, is a modern seokdeung (stone lantern). What’s interesting about this stone lantern is its design. At the base, instead of consisting of reliefs or statues of elephants, lions, or lotus flowers, the weight of the stone lantern rests upon two writhing demons with grimaces on their faces. This is meant to symbolize the light of the Buddha, Seokgamoni-bul. It’s also meant to symbolize the light of the Dharma that destroys ignorance, as represented by the two demons wincing under the weight of the light of the Buddha and the Dharma.

Behind this highly original seokdeung (stone lantern), you’ll find the main hall at Yongchusa Temple. The exterior walls to the Daeung-jeon Hall are adorned in Shimu-do (Ox-Herding Murals). And the two dragons on either side of the shrine hall’s signboard have the longest necks I’ve seen on this type of decorative dragon. Stepping inside the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll find that the rather long body of these dragons continues inside the main hall, as well. As for the main altar, you’ll find a main altar occupied by a triad of statues centred by Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha) and by statues dedicated to Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom) and Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power). All three statues have large bodies with small, slender heads. Also taking up residence inside the main hall is a beautiful, modern Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural).

To the right of the Daeung-jeon Hall, and before getting to the Samseong-gak Hall, you’ll find a stout three-story pagoda. The first story of the structure is adorned with four reliefs on all four sides. These reliefs include images of Birojana-bul (The Buddha of Cosmic Energy) and Yaksayeorae-bul (The Medicine Buddha).

Beyond the three-story pagoda, you’ll find the Samseong-gak Hall. The exterior walls are adorned in fading idyllic landscape murals. Stepping inside the shaman shrine hall, you’ll find reliefs of the three most popular shaman deities. I’m not the biggest fan of wooden reliefs. I much prefer paintings of these shaman deities; but in this case, they are quite nice. The reliefs include images of Chilseong (The Seven Stars), Dokseong (The Lonely Saint), and Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit).

And to the right of the Samseong-gak Hall is the Myeongbu-jeon Hall. The exterior walls to this shrine hall are adorned in some original murals. Included in these murals are the Sibiji-shin (The Twelve Spirit Generals), lotus flowers, and about a dozen dongja (attendant) paintings. Typically, the exterior is adorned in murals dedicated to Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife), Siwang (The Ten Kings of the Underworld), and depictions of those suffering and being redeemed in the afterlife. This Myeongbu-jeon Hall, on the other hand, seems to be portraying how the dead are assisted in the afterlife by the dongja. It’s a nice little bit of originality. Stepping inside the Myeongbu-jeon Hall, you’ll find a dark green haired image of Jijang-bosal on the main altar joined on either side by seated statues of the Siwang. There are also a pair of jovial Geumgang-yeoksa (Vajra Warriors) on either side of the entryways to the Myeongbu-jeon Hall, as well.

How To Get There

From the Hamyang Bus Terminal, you’ll need to take Bus #211 from out in front of the terminal. The bus ride should take about 30 minutes, or 17 stops, and you’ll need to get off at the “Aneui-bus-terminal – 안의버스터미널 하차” bus stop. From this bus stop, you’ll then need to take a second bus, Bus #30. You’ll need to take this bus for an additional 25 minutes, or 9 stops, and get off at the “Yongchusa – 용추사하차” bus stop. From where the bus drops you off, you’ll need to walk north for about 625 metres, or 10 minutes, until you arrive at the temple grounds.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

There’s a lot of natural and artistic beauty at Yongchusa Temple starting with the historic Iljumun Gate at the entry of the temple grounds and leading up to the Yongchu-pokpo Waterfall. This beauty continues around the main temple courtyard with the pair of dragons protruding out and inward at the Daeung-jeon Hall, the exterior wall paintings to the Myeongbu-jeon Hall, and the seokdeung (stone lantern) in front of the main hall. Yongchusa Temple is definitely a very nice surprise in the middle of nowhere.

The historic Iljumun Gate at Yongchusa Temple.
The thirty metre tall Yongchu-pokpo Waterfall out in front of the temple grounds.
The temple grounds hovering over top of the Yongchu-pokpo Waterfall.
Making your way up towards the temple grounds.
The Daeung-jeon Hall (right) and Beomjong-gak Pavilion (left).
The highly original seokdeung (stone lantern) with writhing demons underneath.
One of the Shimu-do (Ox-Herding Murals) that adorns the exterior of the Daeung-jeon Hall.
The signboard to the Daeung-jeon Hall and decorative dragons on either side of the signboard.
An up-close look at one of the elongated decorative dragons.
The main altar inside the Daeung-jeon Hall.
The Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural) inside the main hall.
Joined by this cute mural dedicated to Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom) and Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power) inside the Daeung-jeon Hall.
The modern three-story pagoda with the Samseong-gak Hall (left) and Myeongbu-jeon Hall (right) in the background.
The relief dedicated to Chilseong (The Seven Stars) housed inside the Samseong-gak Hall.
The horse from the Sibiji-shin (The Twelve Spirit Generals) that adorns the exterior of the Myeongbu-jeon Hall.
Joined by paintings of dongja (attendants), as well.
A look at the main altar inside the Myeongbu-jeon Hall of Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife).

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