03 · Korean Temple Monasteries (Sansa) Route
Magoksa Temple
Magoksa Temple in Gongju, a thousand-year-old temple with beautiful green landscapes
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Planning the visit
Magoksa Temple is stop 1 of 9 on the Korean Temple Monasteries (Sansa) Route.
You will find the stamp in front of the five-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 Baekje Antiquity 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 five-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
Since its foundation, Magoksa Temple survived the test of time through the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties, and all the way to the present day. It has a unique layout that features a stream that runs through the heart of the Temple, dividing it into the Bukwon and Namwon compounds, and it is a great example of a Korean Sansa temple. The Bukwon part of the Temple is a place for worship. It has Daeungjeon Hall at its center and the Magoksa Temple Five-story Stone Pagoda from the 14th century, which has a finial section designed in the Tibetan style. Meanwhile, the Namwon part of the Temple has a modest courtyard in the middle and Yeongsanjeon Hall, which was primarily used for meditation. Also, Magoksa Temple produced a number of renowned Buddhist painter monks who painted Buddhist paintings. To celebrate this legacy, the Temple hosts a Bulmodaryeje ritual each year and commemorates past Buddhist painter monks who served at Magoksa Temple. Daeungbojeon Hall at Magoksa Temple in Gongju 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. According to history, the Hall was rebuilt when the Temple was rebuilt (1651) by Gaksun Daesa during the Joseon Dynasty. The Five-story Stone Pagoda at Magoksa has two foundational tiers that support the weight of the entire pagoda, then a five-story body placed on top of the foundation, followed by some finial decorations. Given the unique shape of the finial section, the Stone Pagoda is presumed to have been made sometime during the late Goryeo Dynasty period, which was influenced by the Yuan Dynasty. In other words, during the late Goryeo Dynasty period, cultural interactions with the Yuan Dynasty brought Lama Buddhism to Goryeo, and this Stone Pagoda is a direct example of this new sect of Buddhism making its way across Korea. 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. Yeongsanjeon Hall is the oldest building in Magoksa Temple, which was rebuilt by Gaksun Daesa during the Joseon Dynasty when he rebuilt the Temple itself. It is located to the west of Haetalmun Gate.
Quoted from the Visit Korean Heritage Campaign.
Getting there
Take a bus bound for Gongju at 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.