Muryangsa Temple, Buyeo

On the slopes of Mansusan, Muryangsa is remembered for its Geungnakjeon Hall, which looks two-storeyed from outside but is one tall open space inside, and for the Goryeo pagoda and stone lantern lined up in front of it. The Joseon writer Kim Si-seup spent his last years here, and his stupa still stands in the woods below the temple. The temple belongs to Buyeo County but is closer to Boryeong, so it fits easily into a trip along the west coast.

History: a late-Silla temple and Kim Si-seup's last home

Nobody knows exactly when Muryangsa was founded. The best-known account credits the monk Beomil in the late Silla period; sources differ on whether this was under King Munseong or King Heongang. The monk Muyeom stayed here for a while, and the temple was largely rebuilt in the Goryeo period. It once belonged to Hongsan County, so it is also called Hongsan Muryangsa.

The person most closely tied to the temple is Kim Si-seup (1435–1493), one of the "six loyal subjects who lived". When he heard that Prince Suyang had seized the throne, he turned to Buddhism, wandered the country and finally died at Muryangsa. He is also the author of Geumo sinhwa, regarded as the first Korean novel written in Classical Chinese.

The view through the Four Guardians Gate

Stand just inside the Four Guardians Gate and the stone lantern, five-storey pagoda and Geungnakjeon line up one behind the other. Most photos of Muryangsa are taken from this spot.

• Geungnakjeon Hall (Treasure): a rare two-storey Buddhist hall. Outside you see two roofs, but inside there is no floor between them, just one space five bays wide and four bays deep. Very tall pillars run straight up to form the upper walls, so the ceiling feels remarkably high.
• Clay Amitabha Triad (Treasure): the large clay statues inside the hall. A dedication text found inside them shows they were made in 1633 by the sculptor-monk Hyeonjin.
• Five-storey Stone Pagoda (Treasure): an early Goryeo pagoda that mixes Baekje and Unified Silla styles. During repairs in 1971, four gilt-bronze Buddhas were found inside; they are now Treasures too and kept at the Central Buddhist Museum in Seoul.
• Stone Lantern (Treasure): an octagonal lantern dated to around the 10th century, between late Silla and early Goryeo.

Kim Si-seup's stupa and a 14-metre banner painting

Along the wooded path near the entrance stands Kim Si-seup's stupa (a South Chungcheong provincial heritage). Its base is carved with two dragons fighting over a pearl among clouds. When it was toppled together with a tree in a storm during the Japanese occupation, a sarira relic was found beneath it. Kim's portrait (a Treasure), thought to show him as he looked in life, is now kept at the Central Buddhist Museum in Seoul.

Muryangsa also owns a Maitreya banner painting about 14 m tall. Painted in 1627, it is earlier than any other banner painting listed as a National Treasure, and it was itself made one in 2025. It is hung only for major outdoor ceremonies, so you will not normally see it.

What the name means

Muryang means "immeasurable" and echoes the name of Amitabha, the Buddha of infinite life and light. That is why Muryangsa presents itself as a centre of Amitabha devotion and why its main hall is the Geungnakjeon, the Hall of Paradise. The triad inside places Amitabha between the Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta; large early 17th-century statues with this particular grouping are rare, which adds to their value.

Treasures inside the pagoda

When the pagoda was dismantled in 1971, each level held something different. The first storey contained a gilt-bronze triad of Amitabha flanked by Avalokitesvara and Ksitigarbha, the third storey an early Goryeo gilt-bronze Bodhisattva, and the fifth storey a reliquary set. The Bodhisattva is one of very few early Goryeo statues whose find-spot is known, and the triad shows early Joseon style, so together they help date the pagoda's construction and later repairs.

More to explore

Besides the Geungnakjeon, the grounds include the Myeongbujeon and Yeongsanjeon halls, and the temple also keeps treasures such as the Samjeonpae tablets and a bronze bell. Kim Si-seup became a monk at 21 and left writings spanning Confucianism and Buddhism and more than fifteen volumes of poetry; walking through Muryangsa, it is easy to see why he chose this deep valley as his last home.

Tripto tips

• Opening: the grounds are open 07:00–19:00 every day. There is a car park.
• Time needed: about an hour for the hall, pagoda and Kim Si-seup's stupa. Templestay programmes (day, overnight experience and rest stays) are also offered.
• When to go: late spring, when the Mansusan woods are lush, and autumn foliage season are the most pleasant times to walk around. Come early in the morning to have the view from the gate to yourself.
• Getting there: the temple sits in the hills of Oesan-myeon, so a car is far easier than public transport. It is closer to Boryeong than to central Buyeo, so combine it with Daecheon Beach.
• Etiquette: avoid photographing statues inside the halls and ongoing ceremonies.