Eunhaesa Temple

East of Palgongsan, a wooded road in Cheongtong-myeon, Yeongcheon, leads past the sound of a clear stream to a large temple. Eunhaesa is, together with Donghwasa, the best-known temple on Palgongsan, and as the head temple of the 10th district of the Jogye Order it oversees some 50 temples. Its name means "silver sea", a poetic image of the Pure Land paradise.

History: from Haeansa to Eunhaesa

The temple began as Haeansa, founded in 809 by the monk Hyecheol on a plain called Haeanpyeong, in the year King Heondeok of Silla took the throne. Heondeok had seized power by deposing his nephew, King Aejang, and the temple is said to have been built to console the souls of those killed in the struggle and to help the king repent.

In 1545, while Queen Munjeong was ruling as regent, the main hall was moved to its present site and rebuilt, and the temple became guardian of King Injong's placenta chamber, taking the new name Eunhaesa. That is why its central hall is not a Buddha hall for Shakyamuni but the Geungnakjeon, the hall of Amitabha.

Eunhaesa came through the Imjin War largely unscathed, but in 1847 the worst fire in its history destroyed some one thousand bays of buildings, everything except the Geungnakjeon. After some three years of work, a new main hall, the Bohwaru pavilion, Simgeomdang, Seolseondang and more were completed in 1849, and the great calligrapher Kim Jeong-hui (Chusa) wrote the signboards for the main hall, Bohwaru and "Bulgwang". Today 19 buildings stand in the main precinct. When Palgongsan became a national park on 31 December 2023, Eunhaesa found itself inside it.

What to see

• Geungnakbojeon: the central hall, with Amitabha Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas.
• Chusa's signboards: Eunhaesa is famous for preserving several works by Kim Jeong-hui. Look for the three signboards reading "Daeungjeon", "Bohwaru" and "Bulgwang".
• Seongbo Museum: opened in 2005 to display heritage from Eunhaesa and its hermitages; admission is free.
• Stream and pine woods: the stream in front of the temple and the old pines recall the "silver sea" of its name. Walk slowly along the forest path from the entrance gate.

Good to know

Eunhaesa has several famous branch temples and hermitages. Geojosa, known for its Yeongsanjeon hall, a National Treasure, and its five hundred arhats, was once Eunhaesa's hermitage Geojoam before being raised to temple status. Seonbonsa, home to Gatbawi, the stone Buddha on Palgongsan said to grant one wish in a lifetime, is also a branch of Eunhaesa. The temple also hosts a graduate school for monks founded by the Jogye Order, making it a centre of Buddhist education.

Nearby

• Geojosa: known for its National Treasure hall, Yeongsanjeon, and the five hundred arhats inside it.
• Palgongsan Gatbawi: the seated stone Buddha on top of Gwanbong peak, visited by many people making wishes.
• Donghwasa: the great temple on the southern, Daegu side of Palgongsan, the other half of the mountain's famous pair.

Tripto tips

• Admission: the temple is always open and free. There is a car park.
• Seongbo Museum: April–September 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), October–March 10:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00). Closed on Mondays, 1 January and over the main holidays.
• Templestay: Eunhaesa runs templestay programmes.
• Time needed: 1–1.5 hours for the temple and museum, half a day if you add Geojosa or Gatbawi. The forest path is especially lovely when the leaves turn in autumn.