Bomunsa Temple, Ganghwa

Halfway up Nakgasan on Seongmodo island in Ganghwa, Bomunsa is counted, together with Naksansa in Yangyang and Boriam on Geumsan in Namhae, as one of Korea's three great seaside sanctuaries of Avalokitesvara. People come for the cave hall said to house stone Buddhas pulled from the sea, the rock-carved Bodhisattva more than 9 m tall beneath Eyebrow Rock, and the sunset over the Yellow Sea seen from in front of it.

Buddhas from the sea

Bomunsa was founded in 635, the fourth year of Silla's Queen Seondeok, by the monk Hoejeong, who came to Ganghwa after encountering Avalokitesvara while practising in the Diamond Mountains. The mountain was named Nakga after the Bodhisattva's legendary abode, and the temple Bomun, after the boundless reach of the Bodhisattva's compassion.

Fourteen years later, in 649, 22 stone statues, including Sakyamuni and Maitreya, are said to have been hauled from the sea and placed in a cave. Another legend tells of a fisherman who netted a lump of stone, enshrined it as a dream instructed him and became rich. Because prayers here are believed to be answered, the cave is also called the "miracle cave".

What to see

• Seoksil cave hall (Nahanjeon): a natural cave fronted by three rainbow arches, enshrining Sakyamuni and arhat statues (an Incheon city heritage). Monks pray here around the clock.
• Rock-carved Seated Avalokitesvara: carved in 1928 into the cliff of Eyebrow Rock, it is 9.2 m high and 3.3 m wide. The figure wears a large crown, holds a water flask and has a big swastika on its chest. Many visitors come to pray here for a child.
• Juniper: a juniper about 700 years old and some 20 m tall grows from a cleft in the rock in front of the cave hall. Its twisting trunk looks like a dragon; it is said to have appeared dead during the Korean War and come back to life three years later.
• Millstone: a late-Joseon millstone by the steps to Samseonggak. At 69 cm across it is about twice the usual size, and both upper and lower stones survive.

The temple was also a filming location for the film Chihwaseon.

What a "sanctuary of Avalokitesvara" means

These are places where Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva who hears and relieves suffering, is believed to dwell. Naksansa in Yangyang, Boriam in Namhae and Bomunsa in Ganghwa, all overlooking the sea, are grouped as the three great seaside sanctuaries. Like the others, Bomunsa sits on a mountainside above the water, so the Yellow Sea and its islands are visible from many corners of the grounds. Since both the mountain and the temple are named after the Bodhisattva, Bomunsa was devoted to Avalokitesvara from the very start.

Stories in wood and stone

The juniper splits into two trunks 1.7 m above the ground, the eastern one 1.3 m round and the western 1.5 m. Together with the ginkgo at the entrance and the zelkova in the courtyard, it forms the temple's group of venerable trees. The rock-carved Bodhisattva was created in 1928 by Yi Hwa-eung, abbot of Pyohunsa in the Diamond Mountains, and Bae Seon-ju, abbot of Bomunsa. It is valued more as a place of prayer than as heritage, and you will often find people praying quietly at the top of the steps.

Tripto tips

• Hours: 07:00–19:00 in summer and 07:00–18:00 in winter.
• Admission: adults KRW 2,000, secondary students KRW 1,500, primary pupils KRW 1,000. Parking is charged (KRW 2,000 for cars).
• The climb: it is uphill from the car park to the temple, and a long, steep flight of steps leads to the carved Bodhisattva. Wear comfortable shoes and allow plenty of time for the steps.
• Time needed: 1.5–2 hours for the cave hall, juniper and carved Bodhisattva.
• Best time: go up in the late afternoon to watch the sun set over the sea from the Bodhisattva. On ceremony days some areas may be closed.
• Getting there: you can drive to Seongmodo over the Seongmo Bridge. County buses 35A and 35B run from Ganghwa Bus Terminal towards Bomunsa, but they are infrequent, so check the timetable first.