03 · Korean Temple Monasteries (Sansa) Route

Beopjusa Temple

Beopjusa Temple in Boeun, the crown jewel of Songnisan Mountain

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Planning the visit

Beopjusa Temple is stop 2 of 9 on the Korean Temple Monasteries (Sansa) Route.

The stamp is not at the site itself but at the Tourist information center inside Beopjusa Temple, so check the opening hours of that building rather than the site.

Admission is charged: Adults KRW 4,000 / Teenagers, Students, Soldiers: KRW 2,000 / Children KRW 1,000.

It stands on its own. The nearest other stamp point, Hahoe Village, is 61 km away, so most people give this one its own half day.

Details

Address

379, Beopjusa-ro, Songnisan-myeon, Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do

Stamp zone

Tourist information center inside Beopjusa Temple

Hours

Spring, Summer, Autumn : 06:00 - 18:30 Winter : 06:00 - 17:30

Admission

Adults KRW 4,000 / Teenagers, Students, Soldiers: KRW 2,000 / Children KRW 1,000

Phone

043-543-3615

Website

www.beopjusa.org

Coordinates

36.54382, 127.83497

What the campaign says about it

Beopjusa Temple, located on Songnisan Mountain, was built in 553 CE (14th year of King Jinheung) by a Buddhist monk named Uisin Josa from the Silla Dynasty. As the cradle of the Maitreya faith, Beopjusa Temple is home to several treasures, including the Twin Lion Stone Lantern (created during the Unified Silla period), the Seokryeonji (stone basin), and the Palsangjeon Wooden Pagoda (the only remaining five-story wooden pagoda in Korea). In particular, Boeun Beopjusa Daeungbojeon Hall is considered one of the three greatest Buddhist sanctums in Korea alongside Geungnakjeon Hall at Muryangsa Temple in Buyeo and Gakhwangjeojn Hall at Hwaeomsa Temple in Gurye. The Twin Lion Stone Lantern This Stone Lantern can be found between Daeungjeon Hall and Palsangjeon Wooden Pagoda at Beopjusa Temple, and it is the oldest stone sculpture in Korea featuring the lion as its motif. Instead of the octagonal pillar, which was the dominant style during the Unified Silla period, this Stone Lantern at Beopjusa Temple has a very unique shape with two lions functioning as pillars. Together with the Stone Lantern of the Four Guardian Kings (treasure) at Beopjusa Temple in Boeun, this Twin Lion Stone Lantern is one of the best examples of stone lanterns made during the Unified Silla period. Seokryeonji at Beopjusa Temple is a small basin made of stone. Records show that lotus flowers were placed inside the basin. In Buddhism, the lotus symbolizes a world of paradise, and here, at Beopjusa Temple, you will see a variety of figures and symbols inspired by the lotus flower. The pillars erected on the upper railing of the entrance are similar to the pillars found on the stone railings carved into the Dabotap Pagoda at Bulguksa Temple, which gives the stone basin a classic look. Beopjusa Temple’s Palsangjeon Wooden Pagoda is the only remaining five-story wooden pagoda in Korea. Palsangjeon gets its name from the fact that it features paintings of eight scenes from Buddha’s life - one scene each on each wall. The three Buddhas enshrined inside Daeungbojeon Hall of Beopjusa Temple in Boeun were remade by Byeokam after Beopjusa Temple was burnt down during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 CE. In the center is the Vairocana (a Dharmakaya), to the left is the Rocana (a Sambhogagakaya), and to the right is the Sakyamuni (a Nirmanakaya). Geuknakjeon at Muryangsa Temple is a rare two-story Buddhist pagoda in Korea, and it serves as the central structure of the Temple. In particular, Geuknsakjeon Pagoda enshrines the three statues of the Amitabha Buddha Triad, which makes it an excellent structure with important value as an example of Buddhist architecture showing the stylistic characteristics popular during the mid-Joseon Dynasty period. Gakhwangjeon Hall at Hwaeomsa Temple in Gurye is very majestic and features some excellent construction techniques that also make it an extremely valuable architectural property. During the Joseon Dynasty, it was the lead temple of the Seonjong Daebonsan (禪宗大本山) school of Buddhism in Korea. It was completely burned down during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 CE, but fortunately, the Temple was rebuilt during the reign of King Injo. It is said that the name “Gakhwangjeon” and signboard were given by King Sukjong himself.

Quoted from the Visit Korean Heritage Campaign.

Getting there

Take a bus bound for Songnisan Mountain at the Central City Terminal → Get off at Songnisan Bus Terminal → Take bus no. 511, 521, or 540 at the bus stop in front of Cheongju Restaurant → Get off at Songnisan bus stop → Walk for 7 minutes

Photographs

Photographs supplied by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.