Seonunsa Temple

A band of camellia forest wraps around the hillside behind the temple. Seonunsa, on the northern slope of Dosolsan in Gochang, North Jeolla, is the head temple of the 24th district of the Jogye Order. Red camellias in early spring, a hermitage perched on a cliff and a giant Buddha carved into the rock await along its valley trail.

History: who founded it?

Two stories explain its founding. One says the Baekje monk Geomdan built it in 577; the other that King Jinheung of Silla gave up his throne, came here and founded the temple. Late Joseon records say Jinheung founded it and Geomdan rebuilt it. Another legend tells how Geomdan wanted to fill in a pond where dragons lived: when an eye disease broke out in the village, he said anyone who poured a sack of charcoal into the pond would be cured, and the villagers filled it in.

The temple was repaired several times in the Goryeo and early Joseon periods. Burned during the Japanese invasion of 1597, it was rebuilt over five years from 1614. At its height it is said to have had 89 hermitages.

What to see

• Daeungjeon, the main hall (Treasure): five bays wide and three deep under a simple gable roof, long and low with a steady, balanced look. Sources differ on whether it was rebuilt in 1613 or 1614. Look for its ornate lattice doors and the painted murals inside.
• The camellia forest (Natural Monument): a belt about 30 m wide on the slope behind the main hall. The trees average about 6 m in height and flower in early spring.
• Manseru Pavilion: the large pavilion facing the main hall, designated a Treasure.
• Dosoram Hermitage and the cliff Buddha: up the valley, Naewongung hall sits on top of a rock cliff and is counted among Korea's three main prayer sites for the bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. Below it, a huge seated Buddha (Treasure) is carved into the cliff; legend says that during the Donghak peasant uprising a secret prophecy was taken from its navel.
• Jangsasong pine and Yongmungul cave: on the way to Dosoram stands Jangsasong, a pine tree that is a Natural Monument, and above is Yongmungul, a cave said to have been bored by a dragon fleeing Geomdan.
• The Baekpa stele: its inscription was composed and written by the great calligrapher Kim Jeong-hui (Chusa), who had debated Seon Buddhism with the monk Baekpa and wrote of missing him after his death.

Seonunsa's treasures

Seonunsa and its hermitages hold many designated heritage items. Two gilt-bronze seated Ksitigarbha statues, one at the temple and one at Dosoram, the main hall, Manseru Pavilion, the main hall of Chamdangam Hermitage and the Dosoram cliff Buddha are Treasures, while the camellia forest, the Jangsasong pine and the Songak ivy climbing a rock face are Natural Monuments.

Late Joseon records also say King Jinheung founded the Jungaeam and Dosoram hermitages for a princess and his queen, but most historians doubt it. Even under the anti-Buddhist policies of the Joseon dynasty, the temple flourished enough to keep a memorial room for King Seongjong.

Tripto tips

• Time: about 1 hour for the temple itself, 2–3 hours with the walk to Dosoram and the cliff Buddha.
• Best time: early spring, when the camellias bloom, and autumn, when the valley changes colour.
• Templestay: templestay programmes are offered for Korean and foreign visitors; check dates on the official website.
• Getting there: reach it by bus or car from central Gochang; check Gochang County's information for bus times.