Sangwonsa Temple (Odaesan)

Far up the Odaesan valley, among fir and oak forest, stands Sangwonsa. Most of its buildings are recent reconstructions, but the temple keeps Korea's oldest bell and a statue of a boy deity linked to a legend about King Sejo. It is also the trailhead for the high peaks of Odaesan, so hikers and pilgrims arrive side by side.

History: a temple of the Manjusri cult

Sangwonsa is said to have begun as Jinyeowon, founded in 705 by two Silla princes, Bocheon and Hyomyeong, during the reign of King Seongdeok. Some sources give the founding year as 724. Odaesan was believed to be the dwelling place of the bodhisattva Manjusri (Munsu), and Sangwonsa is closely tied to that Munsu faith. According to legend, King Sejo of Joseon met the child Manjusri here and was cured of an illness, and he sponsored the rebuilding of the temple. The present buildings date from after a fire in 1946; apart from Yeongsanjeon, almost nothing old survives. During the Korean War an order was given to burn the Odaesan temples, and the story goes that the monks resisted so that only the doors were taken off and burned.

What to see

• Sangwonsa bronze bell: cast in 725 and a National Treasure, it stands 167 cm tall with a mouth 91 cm across and is the oldest surviving Korean bell. It is one of three complete Unified Silla bells, together with the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok in Gyeongju. Near the bottom, look for the flying celestials kneeling on clouds and playing instruments.
• Wooden seated child Manjusri: a National Treasure made in 1466, described as the only child-deity statue in Korea created as an object of worship. Relics found inside it in 1984 are listed as a Treasure.
• Rebuilding appeal: the document appealing for funds to rebuild the temple, linked to King Sejo, is also a National Treasure.
• Yeongsanjeon: the hall of the Buddha triad and the Sixteen Arhats, one of the few older buildings left.

Good to know

• The trail above Sangwonsa leads to Jeongmyeol Bogung, a shrine holding relics of the Buddha, and to Birobong (1,563 m), the highest peak of Odaesan.
• The Seonjae-gil trail along the valley from Woljeongsa to Sangwonsa is about 9 km and takes around 3.5 hours.

Nearby

• Woljeongsa: the head temple lower down the valley, to which Sangwonsa belongs. Do not miss its fir forest path and octagonal pagoda.
• Woljeongsa stupa field: a group of monks' stupas in the forest along the road up to Sangwonsa.
• Odaesan Sago site: the site of the Odaesan archive, where a copy of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty was kept, lies a short distance from Sangwonsa.

Tripto tips

• Fees: there is no admission charge. Parking for a car is listed at KRW 6,000.
• Hiking: the route from Sangwonsa via Jungdae Sajaam and the relic shrine to Birobong is about 3.4 km, 1 hour 40 minutes. Some trails may close during the spring and autumn wildfire prevention periods.
• Time needed: 1 hour for the temple, 2–3 hours including the walk to the relic shrine.
• Getting there: drive on past Woljeongsa or walk the Seonjae-gil trail. The road can be icy in winter, so check the weather.