Heungguksa Temple, Yeosu

Heungguksa sits in a wooded valley halfway up Yeongchwisan in Yeosu. Its name expresses the idea that "when the nation prospers the temple prospers, and when the temple prospers so does the nation", and during the Imjin War it housed and trained monk-soldiers for the navy. The arched stone Hongyo Bridge at the entrance and the main hall are among its many Treasures.

History: a temple to pray for the nation

Heungguksa is said to have been founded in 1195 by the Goryeo master Jinul (Bojo Guksa) as a place to pray for the country's prosperity, a spirit that came to the fore during the Imjin War of the 1590s. Monk-soldiers serving with the navy gathered and trained here; sources differ on their number, about 300 or about 400. The Monk-Soldier Navy Exhibition Hall on the grounds tells their story.

Today the temple has halls including Daeungjeon, Wontongjeon, Palsangjeon and Eungjinjeon. Its Treasures include the main altar painting, a large hanging Rocana Buddha painting, a Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara painting, paintings of the Sixteen Arhats, a wooden Shakyamuni triad, a bronze bell, a wooden Ksitigarbha triad with the Ten Kings, and an Avalokiteshvara mural in the main hall.

What to see

• Hongyo Bridge: a rainbow-shaped stone bridge across the stream to the left of the entrance gate, built in 1639 by the abbot Gyeteuk. It is 40 m long, 5.5 m high and 3.45 m wide, with an arch 11.3 m across. 86 fan-shaped granite blocks form a perfect semicircle, and the keystone is carved with a dragon's head. Ranked with Seungseongyo at Seonamsa in Suncheon among Korea's finest stone bridges, it became a Treasure in 1972.
• Daeungjeon: the main hall, built in the mid-Joseon period and designated a Treasure in 1963. Its latticed front doors can all be opened.
• Wontongjeon and Palsangjeon: smaller halls reached by stone steps through the trees, quieter than the main courtyard.
• Yeongchwisan azaleas: for about a month from early April, the ridges of Yeongchwibong and Jindallaebong behind the main hall turn red with azaleas.

Looking closely at Hongyo

Heungguksa originally had no main entrance gate, so the bridge itself served as the Gate of Non-duality, the threshold between the everyday world and the Buddha's realm. On either side of the semicircular arch, walls of rounded rubble stretch out like a crane spreading its wings. From the keystone towards the parapets, goblin faces were carved to ward off evil spirits and protect those crossing. The masonry beside the bridge uses different stones and techniques, showing it has been repaired several times.

The temple has 14 halls in all. Wontongjeon is a provincial Tangible Cultural Heritage and Palsangjeon a provincial Cultural Heritage Material.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: the temple is open at all times, every day, with parking. Hongyo Bridge is free to see, and a heritage guide is on site. Information: 061-685-5633.
• Temple stay: Heungguksa runs temple stays, booked through the national templestay website.
• When to go: time your visit for early April to see the azaleas. If you plan to hike Yeongchwisan as well, an early start gives you more time.
• Time needed: an hour for the bridge and the halls; half a day with the climb to the ridge.
• Finding it: the temple lies in the hills close to the Yeosu National Industrial Complex, at 160 Heungguksa-gil.