Manboksa Temple Site

On the western edge of Namwon, with Mount Girinsan behind it and fields stretching out to the south, lies the site of Manboksa, once a major temple of the Goryeo period. The temple burned down during the Japanese invasion of 1597, but four of its stone treasures still stand where they were made: a five-storey pagoda, a standing Buddha, a statue pedestal and a pair of flagpole supports. The site is also the setting of Kim Si-seup's classic tale "Manboksa jeopogi".

A great Goryeo temple lost to war

Manboksa is said to have been founded under King Munjong of Goryeo (r. 1046–1083). A Joseon-era gazetteer describes a five-storey hall on the east side and a two-storey hall on the west, housing a gilt-bronze Buddha 35 cheok (about 10 m) tall. With a main hall, many other buildings and several hundred monks, it was a large temple, but when Namwon Fortress fell during the second Japanese invasion it was burned and never rebuilt.

Seven rounds of excavation between 1979 and 1985 uncovered numerous building foundations, celadon and white porcelain, and large quantities of roof tiles. They also showed that the temple followed a "one pagoda, three halls" plan, with a wooden pagoda in the centre and worship halls to the east, west and north. The site was designated a Historic Site in 1991.

What to see

• Five-storey stone pagoda (Treasure): Built in the 11th century, it now has only four storeys. The ground level has risen over the centuries, so its base is buried, and a reliquary was found in the first-storey body stone during repairs in 1968. Look for the separate square stones slotted onto each roof stone to support the storey above.
• Standing stone Buddha (Treasure): A granite figure about 2 m tall, standing in a small protective pavilion. Note the full, round face and soft shoulders; the halo is carved with lotus stems, flame patterns and two small Buddhas on each side. The hands were made separately and slotted in, and are now lost.
• Stone pedestal (Treasure): The base for a large Buddha statue. Unusually, it is hexagonal rather than the octagonal shape typical of Unified Silla, with a square socket on top where the statue once stood.
• Flagpole supports (Treasure): A pair of stone pillars that held the pole for banners raised during temple ceremonies. Their plain, rugged form is typical of early Goryeo.
• Stone guardian: A pillar carved into a half-naked, bulging-eyed figure, about 5.5 m tall in total.

Kim Si-seup's ghost story

"Geumo sinhwa" by the early Joseon writer Kim Si-seup is often called the first Korean novel written in classical Chinese, and its opening story is set at this temple. A lonely young man named Yang plays a dice game called jeopo against the Buddha of Manboksa, wins, and meets a beautiful woman, only to learn that she is the spirit of someone long dead. Knowing the story makes the empty field feel rather different.

Tripto tips

• Access: Open all year round, no admission fee, parking available.
• Time needed: 30 minutes to an hour is enough to see each of the remains.
• Getting there: The site lies southeast of Namwon Station, between the station and the town centre. Gwanghallu Garden is about 1.5 km away, so the two are easy to combine.
• When to go: There is almost no shade on the open site, so mornings or late afternoons are more comfortable than a midsummer midday.
• Information: Namwon City cultural heritage office, +82-63-620-6158.