Borimsa Temple

Borimsa sits on the southern slopes of Gajisan in Jangheung, South Jeolla, and is regarded as the place where Seon (Zen) Buddhism first took root in Korea. Two National Treasures stand within its grounds: an iron Vairocana Buddha cast in 858, and twin three-storey pagodas with a stone lantern from around 870. Behind the temple grows a forest of more than 500 Japanese nutmeg-yew (torreya) trees.

The first of the Nine Mountain schools

In late Silla, the meditation-focused Seon tradition spread across the country and formed nine schools known as the "Nine Mountains". Borimsa was the head temple of the Gajisan school, the first of them to be established. The monk Wonpyo is said to have chosen the site in 759, and in 860, at the urging of King Heonan, the Seon master Bojo Chejing turned it into a major temple. Tradition also counts it as one of the "three Borim temples of the East", together with temples of the same name in India and China.

Borimsa once had more than 20 buildings, but it declined under Joseon's anti-Buddhist policies and most of it burned during the Korean War. The present halls are largely post-war reconstructions. The wooden Four Heavenly Kings in the entrance gate (Treasure) turned out to contain so many old Buddhist texts that the texts themselves were designated provincial heritage.

Two National Treasures

• Iron seated Vairocana Buddha (National Treasure): This iron statue sits in Daejeokgwangjeon Hall. An inscription on the back of its left arm says it was made in 858, the second year of King Heonan, with donations from Kim Su-jong, a deputy official of Muju (today's Gwangju and Jangheung area). That makes it the earliest dated example of the iron Buddhas popular from late Silla to early Goryeo. The right hand wraps around the raised left index finger, the classic gesture of Vairocana. Only the body survives; the pedestal and halo are lost.
• North and south three-storey pagodas and stone lantern (National Treasure): Two identical pagodas and a lantern stand side by side in the front courtyard. Records found inside the pagodas date them to around 870, the tenth year of King Gyeongmun. It is rare for the finials on top to survive intact, which makes these especially valuable.

Stupas, a stele and a yew forest

• Stupa and stele of Seon Master Bojo (Treasures): The reliquary stupa and memorial stele of Bojo Chejing (804–880), founder of the temple's golden age. The octagonal stupa is carved with doors and the Four Heavenly Kings, and the stele rests on a tortoise with a dragon's head. Its inscription records the master's life and the history of the temple.
• East and west stupas (Treasures): Monks' stupas in the woods east of the temple and near the entrance; the east stupa is considered the finest at Borimsa.
• Torreya forest: More than 500 torreya trees grow around the temple, some over 300 years old. The Cheongtaejeon Tea Road, which passes through the trees and patches of wild tea, starts at Borimsa, a reminder that Jangheung's old tradition of cake tea is linked to this temple.
• The spring in the courtyard is said never to run dry, even in severe droughts.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: 06:00–18:00 every day, with restricted access after 18:00. Parking is available.
• Time needed: About an hour for the temple, or two hours including a walk through the torreya forest.
• When to go: May, when fresh tea leaves appear, is especially lovely. Torreya and tea are evergreen, so the woods stay green in winter too.
• Getting there: The temple lies in the hills about 14 km north of central Jangheung as the crow flies, so a car is the easiest option.
• Information: +82-61-864-2055.