Donghaksa Temple

Donghaksa sits in a valley on the eastern side of Mt. Gyeryongsan and is home to Korea's oldest college for Buddhist nuns. Together with Gapsa on the western side, it is one of the two best-known temples of Gyeryongsan, and in spring crowds come for the cherry blossom road leading up to it. What sets it apart is that its grounds also hold shrines honouring loyal subjects of the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties.

History: a temple with Confucian shrines

According to tradition, the monk Sangwon built a hermitage on Gyeryongsan in the Silla period, and his disciple Hoeui founded the temple with a pagoda in 724. Two stories explain the name: one links it to a crane-shaped rock east of the temple, the other to Jeong Mong-ju, regarded as the father of Neo-Confucianism in Korea, who was honoured here.

After the founding of Joseon, the Goryeo official Gil Jae built an altar here to honour the Goryeo kings and Jeong Mong-ju, which later became the Sameungak shrine. The writer Kim Si-seup is said to have held rites here for the six ministers executed for plotting to restore the deposed King Danjong. In the late Joseon period this shrine was named Sukmojeon, and rites for Danjong and the loyal ministers are still held. The temple itself burned in 1728 and again during the Korean War and was rebuilt afterwards.

The nuns' seminary founded in 1860 lives on as today's Donghaksa Sangha College, where about 150 nuns study and practise. The temple is also where the master Gyeongheo, who revived Seon Buddhism in modern Korea, spent his early years of practice and reached enlightenment.

What to see

• Main hall and wooden Buddha triad (Treasure): A dedication text found inside the statues dates them precisely to 1606, making them a reference work for the study of mid- to late-Joseon Buddhist sculpture.
• Sukmojeon, Sameungak and Donggyesa: The shrine area on the east side honours the Silla loyalist Bak Je-sang, the "three hermits" of Goryeo (Jeong Mong-ju, Yi Saek and Gil Jae), and King Danjong with his loyal ministers. Confucian rites held inside a Buddhist temple are a rare sight.
• Three-storey pagoda and Samseonggak: Look for the stone pagoda and the Joseon-era shrine to the mountain spirits.
• Donghaksa Valley: The valley path to the temple is shady in summer, with Munpilbong Peak rising opposite.

Good to know

Further up the mountain from Donghaksa stands Nammaetap, a pair of pagodas tied to a legend about a brother and sister. The trail from the temple via Nammaetap, Sambulbong and Gwaneumbong down to Eunseon Falls is the classic Gyeryongsan hike. If the temple alone feels too short, walk at least as far as Nammaetap.

Tripto tips

• When to go: In spring an avenue of cherry trees runs for about 3 km from the Bakjeongja junction to the temple, and a cherry blossom festival has been held here since 1993. Traffic is heavy during the festival, so come early or use public transport. Autumn foliage season is busy too.
• Time needed: Allow an hour for the temple alone, or half a day if you hike to Nammaetap.
• Getting there: City buses run from Daejeon to the Donghaksa entrance. By car the Yuseong interchange is the closest exit. The car park at the entrance charges a day rate.
• Etiquette: The temple is a place of study for nuns, so some college areas may be closed to visitors. Follow the signs and keep your voice down.
• Fees: Admission and parking fees can change, so check before you set off.