Geonbongsa Temple

In the hills of Goseong, not far from the inter-Korean border, Geonbongsa sits where the ridges of Geumgangsan, the Diamond Mountains, begin, which is why it is often called "Geumgangsan Geonbongsa". It was once a vast temple of 3,183 kan (bays), but in the Korean War everything except a single gate was destroyed. It enshrines a tooth relic of the Buddha, and for decades after the war civilians could hardly enter, giving it a story unlike most mountain temples.

History: from Wongaksa to Geonbongsa

Tradition says the monk Ado founded the temple as Wongaksa in 520, under King Beopheung of Silla. As this area belonged to Goguryeo at the time, the founding story is often treated as legend, like those of many Three Kingdoms temples. In 758 the monk Baljing rebuilt it and held a ten-thousand-day chanting assembly, regarded as the first of its kind in Korea, and Geonbongsa has remained a leading centre of Pure Land chanting practice ever since.

In 1358, under King Gongmin of Goryeo, the monk Naong rebuilt it and gave it its current name. King Sejo of Joseon visited in 1456 and made it a royal prayer temple, after which it grew even larger. During the Japanese invasions of the 1590s, the monk-general Samyeong raised a monk army here, and he is said to have brought back the Buddha's tooth relics, which had been taken to Japan, and enshrined them at Geonbongsa. In 1906 the temple founded the Bongmyeong School for modern education, and under Japanese rule it was one of the 31 head temples of Korean Buddhism.

War and restoration

Goseong saw about two years of fierce fighting during the Korean War, and every building except Burimun, a gate built in 1920, was destroyed. After the armistice the temple site lay north of the civilian control line, open to the public only on Buddha's Birthday, until free access was allowed in 1989. Restoration began in 1994 and has produced the temple you see today.

What to see

• Burimun: the only building to survive the war, a gate with a hipped-and-gabled roof from the Japanese colonial period. On its own it helps you imagine the size of the old temple.
• Neungpagyo: a Joseon-era stone arch bridge over the stream, designated a Treasure. With the water running beneath the arch, it shows that the old temple spread across both banks.
• The relic hall: the space where the Buddha's tooth relics are enshrined. It is a place of worship, so please move quietly.

Good to know

Because it raised a monk army during the Japanese invasions and was a centre of resistance under Japanese rule, Geonbongsa is also called a temple that defended the nation. The Bongmyeong School was a hub of modern education in the region until the colonial authorities forced it to close. In 1878 a great fire destroyed the whole temple, which was rebuilt the following year. Most of what you see today dates from the 1990s onwards, so the real sense of time here comes from the broad temple grounds, the surviving gate and the old stone bridge rather than from ancient halls.

Nearby

• Geungnakam: a small hermitage about 5.4 km away.
• Ganseong Hyanggyo: a Joseon-era local Confucian school about 5.5 km away.
• Hanui Lavender Farm: about 6.5 km away, popular in the early-summer lavender season.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: open at all times, free, with parking and toilets. Temple stays are booked through the temple-stay website.
• Getting there: the address is 723 Geonbongsa-ro, Geojin-eup, Goseong County. Buses are rare in this mountain valley, so a car is easiest.
• When to go: autumn, when the valley turns red and gold, is best. Winters bring heavy snow and icy roads, so check the weather.
• Time needed: 60–90 minutes for the temple and the bridge. Ganseong Hyanggyo, a Confucian school, is about 5.5 km away.
• Phone: +82 33-682-8100.