Beopjusa Temple

Beopjusa, founded in 553 at the foot of Songnisan, is the head temple of the 5th district of the Jogye Order and home to Palsangjeon, the only wooden pagoda in Korea to survive in its historic form. With three National Treasures and more than ten Treasures, simply walking around the grounds takes you through the history of Korean Buddhist art. In 2018 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the "Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea".

History: where the white mule stopped

Legend says that the monk Uisin, returning from India with sutras in the reign of Silla's King Jinheung, built the temple where his white mule stopped and cried. The name Beopju means "where the Dharma dwells". In the Goryeo period it was large enough to host a ceremony attended by 30,000 monks, according to records, and in 1363 King Gongmin had relics of the Buddha enshrined here. By mid-Joseon it had some 60 halls and 70 hermitages, but most burned during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s; between 1605 and 1626 the monks Samyeong and Byeogam rebuilt Palsangjeon and other halls.

What to see

• Palsangjeon (National Treasure): a five-storey wooden pagoda housing paintings of eight scenes from the life of the Buddha. It was rebuilt around 1624 and is the only wooden pagoda in Korea to keep its historic appearance.
• Twin-lion stone lantern (National Treasure): a Silla lantern whose light chamber is held up by two lions standing on their hind legs.
• Stone lotus basin (National Treasure): a huge stone water vessel carved in the shape of a lotus.
• Statue of Huigyeon Bodhisattva (Treasure): a bodhisattva carrying a hot incense burner on his head, vowing to make offerings for eternity, a rare subject in Korean temples.
• Iron cauldron (Treasure): a Goryeo-period cauldron that cooked for huge numbers of monks and hints at the temple's former size.
• Rock-carved seated Buddha (Treasure): a Buddha seated as if on a chair, carved on a large boulder on the east side of the grounds.
• Gilt-bronze Maitreya Buddha: a giant golden Maitreya overlooking the temple, based on a statue begun in 1939 by the sculptor Kim Bok-jin and first completed in 1964.

A story worth knowing

On the road to the temple stands Jeongipumsong, a pine about 600 years old and a Natural Monument. Legend says that in 1464, as King Sejo's palanquin approached, the tree lifted its branches to let it pass, and the grateful king granted it a minister's rank. A large branch broke off in a storm in 1993, so its shape has changed a lot.

Things you rarely see elsewhere

• Folding screen of celestial charts (Treasure): a star map with no connection to Buddhism. It was copied by Kim Tae-seo and An Guk-bin of the royal observatory from a chart made in 1723 by Ignatius Kögler, a German Jesuit working in China, and shows 300 constellations and 3,083 stars. It is considered the largest and most accurate surviving copy of Kögler's chart.
• Seonhuigung shrine: a building behind the main hall dedicated to Royal Noble Consort Yeongbin, a concubine of King Yeongjo and mother of the ill-fated Crown Prince Sado. A shrine to a royal concubine inside a temple is very unusual.
• Stele of National Preceptor Jajeong: a Goryeo memorial inscription carved directly onto a natural rock face on the orders of King Chunghye.
• Stone jar: a stone vessel buried in the ground. Its purpose is uncertain, but temple tradition says it was used to store kimchi.

Why Palsangjeon is the only one

Korea once had two designated buildings in the old wooden-pagoda style, but when the main hall of Ssangbongsa in Hwasun burned down in 1984, Palsangjeon was left as the only one. Inside, the eight paintings of the Buddha's life surround a central pillar.

A temple close to the throne

Beopjusa had close ties to the royal family across several dynasties. The fifth son of King Munjong of Goryeo served as its abbot, and under King Wonjong the monk Misu compiled 92 volumes of scriptures by royal command. King Sejo of Joseon visited and supported major rebuilding, helping the monk Sinmi, who lived at the Bokcheonam hermitage. There is also a story that Taejo, founder of Joseon, retreated to the area near Beopjusa, weary of the quarrels between his sons.

Tripto tips

• Admission: since 4 May 2023, fees for national heritage at temples have been abolished, so entry is free. The temple car park charges KRW 7,000 per day.
• Hours: open from sunrise to sunset. Templestay programmes are available.
• Time needed: 90 minutes to two hours for the grounds; add a hike on Songnisan and it becomes a full day.
• Best time: October foliage and May, when lanterns are hung for the Buddha's Birthday. On autumn weekends, arrive early.