05 · Baekje Antiquity Route

Magoksa Temple

Magoksa Temple in Gongju, a thousand-year-old temple with beautiful green landscapes

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This is the Baekje Antiquity Route listing for Magoksa Temple. The full page lives under the Korean Temple Monasteries (Sansa) Route.

Planning the visit

Magoksa Temple is stop 2 of 7 on the Baekje Antiquity Route.

You will find the stamp in front of the 5-story stone pagoda at Magoksa Temple, in front of the temple stay office.

Admission is charged: Adults KRW 3,000 / Teenagers KRW 1,500 / Children KRW 1,000.

The two closest stamp points are Gongsanseong Fortress, 15 km away, and Busosanseong Fortress at 31 km. All three fit into one day.

This stamp counts for the Korean Temple Monasteries (Sansa) Route too, but one stamping only fills one passport page. Stamp it twice if you want both.

Details

Address

966, Magoksa-ro, Sagok-myeon, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do

Stamp zone

In front of the 5-story stone pagoda at Magoksa Temple, in front of the temple stay office

Admission

Adults KRW 3,000 / Teenagers KRW 1,500 / Children KRW 1,000

Phone

041-841-6221

Website

www.magoksa.or.kr

Coordinates

36.55987, 127.01069

What the campaign says about it

There are two different records of how Magoksa Temple was built on Taehwasan Mountain. The “Taehwasan Magoksa Sajeok Iban” (1851) says Magoksa Temple was the third of seven temples built by Jajangyulsa with great support from Queen Seondeok upon returning from his trip to the Tang Dynasty. The records also say that the Temple was repaired and renovated on five different occasions since it was first built. Meanwhile, the “Seongyoyangjongdaebonsanmagoksa Yeongiryakcho” says that “Bojoseonsa Che Jing founded Magoksa Temple, and thereafter, Beomilguksa and Doseonguksa expanded and renovated the Temple.” Divided into two separate sections by a small creek, Magoksa Temple is perhaps best known for its beautiful scenery. In fact, it hosts its own festival, the Sillok Festival, each spring. One side of the creek is called “Namwon,” which is dedicated to meditation, and the other side is called “Bukwon,” which is used for prayer. Yeongsanjeon Hall is the main building for the Namwon part of Magoksa Temple. Used for meditation, it is also the oldest structure in Magoksa Temple. Here, “Yeongsan (靈山)” is an abbreviation for Yeongchuksan Mountain, which is where Sakyamuni preached to his disciples, and Yeongsanjeon captures the essence of Yeongchuksan Mountain. As for the Bukwon section of the Temple, Daeungbojeon Hall serves as its main structure, and it remains almost intact in its original condition. One thing you should absolutely check out while you are at Magoksa Temple is its Five-story Stone Pagoda, which looks and feels a little different from other stone pagodas in Korea. This relic, which resembles a Lama stupa, is a prime example of Lama Buddhism culture that was introduced by the Yuan Dynasty in the late Goryeo Dynasty period. Also, Magoksa Temple is famous for the line of Hwaseung (畵僧) monks it had managed to produce over the years. It was so prolific in developing these Buddhist painters, it earned the moniker of “Nambang Hwaso.” To this very day, the Temple hosts a Bulmodaryeje to commemorate the souls of Hwaseung monks. Yeongsanjeon Hall at Magoksa Temple in Gongju enshrines Buddha Sakyamuni and a Palsangdo that illustrates the biography of the Buddha. It is also called the “Cheonbuljeon” as it enshrines the Cheonbul as well. Yeonsanjeon is the oldest structure in Magoksa, and it was repaired when Gaksundaesa rebuilt the Temple during the Joseon Dynasty period (1651). The Hall sits to the west of Haetalmun Gate. Magoksa Temple’s Daeungbojeon is a sanctuary that enshrines Buddha Sakyamuni. With Sakyamuni positioned in the middle, the Hall also enshrines Yaksayeoraebul and Amitabul to the right and left. Daeungbojeon Hall is also said to have been rebuilt by Gaksundaesa during the restoration of the Temple in the Joseon Dynasty period. The Five-story Stone Pagoda at Magoksa Temple, Gongju The Five-story Stone Pagoda standing tall in the temple's courtyard has Buddha and Bodhisattva carved on the body of the pagoda, and given the marks on each corner of the roof, it appears sound chimes used to hang from the Pagoda as well. Most of the treasures inside the Pagoda were stolen during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, but in 1972, while dismantling and repairing the Pagoda, a copper incense burner and doorknob were discovered inside the stone structure.

Quoted from the Visit Korean Heritage Campaign.

Getting there

Take a bus bound for Gongju at the Seoul Express Bus Terminal → Get off at Gongju Bus Terminal → Take bus no. 770 at the Central Bus Terminal (to Singwan Elementary School) bus stop → Get off at Magoksa Temple bus stop → Walk for 10 minutes

Photographs

Photographs supplied by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.