Biamsa Temple

Biamsa, on the slopes of Unjusan in Jeonui-myeon, Sejong, is a small mountain temple, yet it produced one of the key finds in the history of Korean Buddhist sculpture. In 1960, a stone Buddhist stele found on top of the temple's three-storey pagoda turned out to carry an inscription left by people of the fallen Baekje kingdom. Surrounded by forest and rarely crowded, it is a quiet place to experience an old mountain temple.

History: a record left by Baekje refugees

Tradition credits the founding to the monk Doseon in late Unified Silla, but the temple's real history is uncertain. The best clues come from the objects found here. The Gyeyu-year Jeon-clan Amitabha stele (National Treasure), discovered on the pagoda, is inscribed with the year "gyeyu", the name of a monk called Hyemyeong, and a dedication to the kings and ministers of Baekje and seven generations of ancestors. Because of this, the most widely accepted view is that people of the former Baekje kingdom made the stele in 673, in early Unified Silla.

Two other steles found with it, the Gichuk-year Amitabha stele (Treasure) and a stele of the pensive Maitreya bodhisattva, are now kept with the National Treasure stele at the Cheongju National Museum. So many of Sejong's important heritage objects came from Biamsa that the temple works as a starting point for the area's history.

What is a Buddhist stele

A Buddhist stele is a stone shaped like a memorial tablet, carved with Buddhas and bodhisattvas and inscribed with the hopes of the people who made it. Because Biamsa's steles record people of the fallen Baekje kingdom praying for their former kings and ancestors just after the unification of the Three Kingdoms, they are valuable as historical records as well as art. Today Biamsa is a branch temple of Magoksa in Gongju, head temple of the 6th district of the Jogye Order.

What to see

• Geungnakbojeon Hall: The main hall. Its datjip, the small ornamental canopy hanging above the Buddha, is said to date from 1657 and is so finely and richly carved that it has been designated a Treasure.
• Three-storey stone pagoda: The very pagoda on which the steles were found, protected by Sejong City.
• Zelkova tree: A large tree said to be about 860 years old. Villagers once believed that if its leaves sprouted from the bottom in spring the harvest would be poor, and if they sprouted from the top it would be good. Look for the sign in front asking visitors to pass by "as if they had never come".
• Clay Amitabha Buddha and hanging scroll: A seated Amitabha modelled in clay and a large hanging painting of the Vulture Peak assembly, used at major ceremonies, are also protected by Sejong City.

Tripto tips

• Best view: After parking, do not head straight up to the temple. Take the steps behind the toilets a short way up the hill and the whole temple comes into view.
• Visitor info: Open at all times, every day, with no admission fee and parking available.
• Time needed: 40 minutes to an hour covers the grounds and the viewpoint.
• See the originals: To see the steles themselves, pair your visit with the Cheongju National Museum. Seeing the pagoda here and the objects there completes the story.
• Getting there: A car is easier than public transport. The address is 137 Biamsa-gil, Jeonui-myeon, Sejong.
• Contact: Korean-language guidance is available; the temple's number is +82 44-863-0230. The approach is a forested mountain road, so it is best to visit before dark.