03 · Korean Temple Monasteries (Sansa) Route
Tongdosa Temple
Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan, temple of the Buddha and home to Geumgangsong pine trees
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Planning the visit
Tongdosa Temple is stop 6 of 9 on the Korean Temple Monasteries (Sansa) Route.
The stamp is not at the site itself but inside the tourist information center at Tongdosa Temple, so check the opening hours of that building rather than the site.
Admission is charged: Adults KRW 3,000 / Teenagers KRW 1,500 / Children KRW 1,000.
The two closest stamp points are Daeseong-dong Tumuli, 34 km away, and Gimhae National Museum at 34 km. All three fit into one day.
Details
- Address
- 108, Tongdosa-ro, Habuk-myeon, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
- Stamp zone
- Inside the tourist information center at Tongdosa Temple
- Hours
- 08:30 - 17:30
- Admission
- Adults KRW 3,000 / Teenagers KRW 1,500 / Children KRW 1,000
- Phone
- 055-382-7182
- Website
- www.tongdosa.or.kr
- Coordinates
- 35.49269, 129.08811
What the campaign says about it
Tongdosa Temple, founded in 646 CE by Jajang Yulsa (Buddhist monk from the Silla period), is a Buddhist temple that enshrined the genuine sarira of Buddha Sakyamuni. Thus, Tongdosa Temple has a set of stairs called the Ordination Platform, which enshrines the genuine sarira of Buddha, behind its Daeungjeon Hall instead of a statue of the Buddha enshrined inside. Aside from its Daeungjeon Hall and Ordination Platform, two of the Temple’s most important structures, Tongdosa has other beautiful treasures such as its Gilt-bronze Celestial Chart (depicts star constellations with pearls), and the impressive Mural Paintings in Yeongsanjeon Hall. Daeungjeon Hall and the Ordination Platform at Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan Tongdosa Temple’s Daeungjeon Hall, which is a great example of the architectural style during the mid-Joseon Dynasty period, and the Ordination Platform, which stores the genuine sarira of Buddha, are important cultural assets in terms of their architectural structures, architectural history, and historical significance. According to history, the name “Tongdo” was given to the Temple so that it could help people learn the meaning and true significance of enlightenment, and ultimately lead them to nirvana. On the front of the Gilt-bronze Celestial Chart at Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan, the constellations all the way from the North Pole to the equator are arranged in a circle around the North Pole. The Gilt-bronze Celestial Chart helps the user understand the movement of constellations in the sky, and each of the 28 constellations can be traced by hand, meaning the user could point the Chart to the sky and look for the matching constellations. This Celestial Chart would have helped find or learn about constellations by shining a dim light on the pearl inserts arranged in a way that matched the real constellations. Considering its portability and convenient user instructions, the Gilt-bronze Celestial Chart can be considered an artifact used to make scientific observations easier. Yeongsanjeon Hall is the central building of Harojeon Hall at Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan. It faces south and has Geukakjeon and Yaksajeon Halls to either side. Its walls and ceiling have unique configurations as the building was designed to house a Buddhist altar and murals. The furnishings at the top and the wooden brackets are great examples of a Buddhist hall built during the early 18th century period. Overall, it holds great value both academically and historically in the field of Buddhist architecture and paintings in Korea.
Quoted from the Visit Korean Heritage Campaign.
Getting there
Get off at the KTX Ulsan station → Take bus no. 357 (to Samnam Shinhwa) at the KTX Ulsan station bus stop → Get off at the Ulsan Industry High School bus stop, then transfer to bus no. 1723 (to Shinpyeong Terminal) → Get off at Shinpyeong Bus Terminal → Walk for 10 minutes
Photographs
Photographs supplied by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.