Jeungsimsa Temple, Gwangju

On the western slopes of Mudeungsan, right where hikers start their climb, stands Jeungsimsa. Founded in the 9th century and burned and rebuilt several times since, the temple is mostly made up of newer halls, yet among them survive the oldest temple building on Mudeungsan and an iron Buddha from the Unified Silla period. It is easy to reach by metro and bus, which makes it a natural stop before or after a hike.

A temple that kept rising from the ashes

Jeungsimsa is said to have been founded in 860 by the monk Cheolgam Doyun. It was rebuilt in 1094 under the Goryeo dynasty and restored again in the reign of King Sejong; sources differ on whether the work was led by the provincial governor Kim O or by Kim Bang. Burned down during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s, it was revived in 1609 by three Seon masters.

The hardest blow came with the Korean War. In 1951 most of the buildings burned, and two gilt-bronze Buddhas then listed as National Treasures disappeared while in storage, so their designation was eventually withdrawn. Most of what you see today was rebuilt around 1970. Jeungsimsa belongs to the Jogye Order as a branch of Songgwangsa and has run a templestay programme since 2008.

What to see

• Obaekjeon (Hall of Five Hundred Arhats): built in 1443, it is the oldest surviving temple building on Mudeungsan, a compact three-by-three-bay hall with a gabled roof.
• Iron Seated Vairocana Buddha: a Unified Silla iron statue, designated a Treasure in 1963, enshrined in Birojeon hall.
• Two stone pagodas: a three-storey pagoda in late Silla style, and a seven-storey pagoda with Sanskrit letters carved on all four sides of every storey.
• Main hall and gate: following the stream uphill you pass the One Pillar Gate and climb stone steps to Daeungjeon. Late autumn colours around the courtyard are a highlight.

Good to know

• The whole Jeungsimsa area was listed as a cultural heritage site of Gwangju in 1984, covering the valley, buildings and stone monuments together.
• Below the temple, the andesitic lava of Jeungsimsa Valley is one of the sites of the Mudeungsan Geopark, an early glimpse of the volcanic activity that formed the mountain's famous columnar joints.
• Obaekjeon is considered to belong to the same architectural lineage as Geungnakjeon hall at Muwisa in Gangjin: a single-storey gabled hall with multiple bracket sets. Early Joseon buildings are rare, which makes it especially valuable, and it was listed as a cultural heritage item of Gwangju in 1986.

Tripto tips

• Hours and fees: open daily 04:30–17:00, free of charge. It is a working temple, so keep your voice down inside the halls.
• Getting there: take Gwangju Metro Line 1 to Hakdong·Jeungsimsa-ipgu Station, then a bus towards Jeungsimsa to the last stop. From there it is an uphill walk to the temple.
• Time needed: 40 minutes to an hour for the temple alone; half a day or more if you combine it with a hike on Mudeungsan.
• Nearby: the Uijae Museum of Korean Art is about 220 m away, and the trail continues past Yaksaam hermitage towards the upper slopes of Mudeungsan.
• Templestay: runs on reservation; guidance in foreign languages must be booked in advance.