Yeongsanjeon Hall of Geojosa Temple

On the eastern slopes of Palgongsan, in a quiet valley in Yeongcheon's Cheongtong-myeon, stands a timber building from the Goryeo dynasty. Yeongsanjeon, a National Treasure, was built in 1375, and inside it 526 stone arhats, each with a different face, fill the hall. Only a handful of Goryeo wooden buildings survive in Korea, so anyone interested in architecture will find it worth the detour.

From Geojoam to Geojosa

Tradition says the temple was founded in 738 by the monk Woncham, though another account places it under King Gyeongdeok. For a long time it was known as Geojoam, a hermitage of nearby Eunhaesa, but since the heritage listing was renamed in March 2021 it has gone by Geojosa. The name means "where Amitabha Buddha dwells".

Yeongsanjeon was once thought to be a Silla building. During dismantling and repair, however, an ink inscription was found recording its construction in 1375, the first year of King U of Goryeo. It was designated a National Treasure in 1962 and is counted among the few Goryeo timber halls left, together with Muryangsujeon and Josadang at Buseoksa, Geungnakjeon at Bongjeongsa and Daeungjeon at Sudeoksa.

What to see in Yeongsanjeon

• The building: a long hall of seven bays by three, with a gabled roof, raised on a high stone platform. The bracketing is simple, so the first impression is plain, but the clearly swelling columns and the open ceiling let you see the whole roof frame from inside. There is only one door, in the centre.
• The 500 arhats: around Sakyamuni Buddha and the bodhisattvas Manjusri and Samantabhadra, stone arhats about 40–50 cm tall sit in rows along the walls. They are thickly coated in white pigment and no two faces are alike: some smile, some doze, some tilt their heads. In the early 19th century, when the monk Yeongpa Seonggyu rebuilt the temple, each figure was given its own name.
• The Vulture Peak assembly: the arrangement recreates the scene of the Buddha preaching the Lotus Sutra on Vulture Peak.
• Three-storey pagoda: a granite pagoda about 3.6 m high in front of the hall, thought to follow Unified Silla style.

Good to know

Studying the arhats' faces is the real pleasure here, and many visitors stay inside much longer than planned. Climbing the steps beneath Yeongsanru gate and seeing the long, unpainted hall for the first time shows the restraint of Goryeo architecture better than any description.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 30–60 minutes for the hall and grounds.
• Combine with: the head temple Eunhaesa lies about 4 km to the southwest, so the two make an easy pair. Gatbawi Buddha and Donghwasa are on the same mountain range.
• Getting there: public transport to this rural valley is sparse; a car or taxi from Yeongcheon or Hayang is the practical choice. There is a large car park below the temple.
• Best time: fresh spring green or autumn colour in October–November. In midsummer the hall stays cool.
• Etiquette: Yeongsanjeon is still a working prayer hall. Take off your hat, move quietly and follow the on-site signs on photographing the arhats.