Hwaeomsa Temple

Hwaeomsa is a major Buddhist temple on the southern slopes of Jirisan in Gurye, South Jeolla. It is said to have been founded in 544 and is the head temple of the 19th district of the Jogye Order. In the middle of the grounds stands Gakhwangjeon, one of the grandest two-storey Buddhist halls of the Joseon period, and together with the huge stone lantern in front of it and a pagoda carried by four lions, it makes a cluster of National Treasures in one courtyard.

History: a temple that rose from the ashes

The name comes from the Avatamsaka Sutra, known in Korean as Hwaeom-gyeong. Tradition credits the monk Yeongi with founding the temple. In 643 the monk Jajang expanded it, and records say that the great master Uisang, on royal orders, had the sutra carved onto stone tablets and kept here. The monk Doseon enlarged it again in 875.

In 1593, during the Japanese invasions, most of the buildings burned. The site of Gakhwangjeon had held Jangnyukjeon, a three-storey hall whose walls were lined with the stone sutra tablets; it was destroyed, and only fragments survive in the temple's care. The monk Byeogam rebuilt the main hall and other buildings from 1630 to 1636, and when a new hall was completed on the Jangnyukjeon site in 1702, King Sukjong gave it the name Gakhwangjeon.

What to see

• Gakhwangjeon (National Treasure): Seven bays wide and five deep. From outside it has two storeys, but inside it is one tall open space enshrining three Buddhas and four bodhisattvas. It stands on a stone platform probably built in the Silla period.
• Stone lantern in front of Gakhwangjeon (National Treasure): A Unified Silla lantern 6.4 m tall, scaled to match the enormous hall.
• Three-storey pagoda with four lions (National Treasure): On the slope above and to the left of Gakhwangjeon. Four lions support the pagoda, with a figure said to be Yeongi's mother standing between them, and in the lantern facing it a monk is said to kneel, offering her tea.
• Daeungjeon and the east and west five-storey pagodas: The two pagodas in the main courtyard look alike at first glance, but their carving and decoration differ, so they are fun to compare.

Good to know

The temple is laid out so that you climb step by step up the hillside: through the One-Pillar Gate, the Vajra Gate, the Gate of the Four Heavenly Kings and Bojeru Pavilion into the main courtyard, with Daeungjeon and Gakhwangjeon on the highest terrace. It is often read as a spatial picture of the path towards enlightenment. In early spring the red plum beside Gakhwangjeon bursts into deep crimson flowers and draws crowds of photographers, and one of the temple's plum trees is a designated Natural Monument.

Mountain hermitages and precious relics

At its height under King Gyeongdeok of Unified Silla, Hwaeomsa is said to have had 81 hermitages. Most disappeared over the centuries, and many were damaged during the Korean War. Today hermitages such as Gucheungam, Geumjeongam, Jijangam, Yeongiam, Naewonam, Mitaam, Bojeogam and Namam remain.

Hwaeomsa is one of the ten Hwaeom temples associated with Uisang's teaching. The stone sutra tablets broken during the Japanese invasions survive as more than ten thousand fragments, designated a Treasure as the "Hwaeom Stone Sutra". The temple also holds the great hanging painting of the Vulture Peak Assembly (National Treasure), reliquaries found in the western five-storey pagoda, and a painting and wooden statues of the Vairocana triad in Daeungjeon. Seeking them out one by one, time passes quickly.

Tripto tips

• Time: 1–2 hours for the main grounds, or half a day if you walk up to hermitages such as Gucheungam.
• Location: About 5.4 km east of Gurye town. There is a national park car park and a temple car park, both free (except for large coaches).
• Opening: Open all year. Since May 2023, temples holding nationally designated heritage no longer charge an entrance fee, and Hwaeomsa is free to enter.
• Templestay: The temple runs templestay programmes for Korean and international guests.
• When: Busiest in March, when the red plum blossoms, and from late October to early November for the autumn leaves.