On Chuseok I took another trip to one of Korea’s most fascinating temples—Tongdo (Tongdosa). The mountain cradle surrounding it, the sloshing stream, and the canopy of redwoods made the temple grounds seem more like a finely manicured national park than other well trodden tourist temples I have visited. Being one of the three most important temples in Korea I went expecting a circus, a never ending parade of souvenir and refreshment hawkers enticing me to fork over a more won. Instead I found these things, while present, were kept in moderation. After having visited many other must see temples in Korea, I can say Tongdosa is one of the best.
Tongdosa is located at the foot of Mt. Yeongchuk (Yeongchuksan) in Gajisan Provincial Park, in Gyeongsangnam-do province. Technically within the limits of Yangsan, but almost 20 kilometers from the center of town. To be more precise a stone’s throw away from latitude 35° 29′ 14”, longitude 129° 03′ 58”. For the less geographically anal a 25 minute bus ride from Busan’s Dongbu terminal, a.k.a. Nopodong. If your coming from the other direction a 15 minute ride from Eonyang.
There is a mountain in India that shares the name Yeongchuk with its Korean counterpart. Buddha is said to have taught on the mountain in India. Tongdosa was founded in the year 646 CE by the Korean monk Jajangyula, who is said to have returned from his studies in China with relics from Buddha’s body, his robe, and alms bowl. The relics are now protected by the several stupas at Tongdosa. Tong means linking or communication in Korean. The temple was founded to provide Korea with a direct link to Buddha.
Tongdosa is over two thousand years old, but most of the buildings are only a little over four hundred years old. All but one, the daeungjeon hall was destroyed by the war with Japan in the late 16th century. The other buildings were restored in the 17th century. The buildings are well kept, but still maintain a rustic appearance. It’s easy to imagine you are in the presence of ancient architecture as you wander around the temple grounds.
Jajangyula left this inscription on a pillar behind the main hall:
“A long time has passed since the powerful king of all generations, the owner of the world of desire-driven beings, entered Nirvana festooned with sara trees. His sarira has remained to this day, and I will not cease preaching Buddhism to ordinary people.”
Do yourself and go see what else Jajangyula left the world to see. The beautiful temple of Tongdosa.
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I took another trip to Palgongsan on Saturday, this time my destination was Gatbawi. Gatbawi is a large granite Buddha carved at the top of Mt. Palgongsan. Priest Euihyeondaesa is said to have carved the rock in 638, the 7th year of Queen Seondeok’s reign during the Silla Kingdom period.
Euihyeondaesa carved the Buddha to comfort the soul of his deceased mother. After carving the rock he had a dream in which a giant crane stood guard at the statue after he finished carving it.
What makes the statue unique is the large stone plate head on its head. The style of the hands and hair is similar to the Buddha at Seokguram grotto. The serious expression on the face, and the lines and the robe, make it an equal to to other Buddhist masterpieces of the era.
After getting out of the bus, go to the main street and turn left. After walking a block, the sidewalk will start to resemble a park. You will see the first Buddhist Temple, Poeunsa, on your right.
Poeunsa is a small, but colorful temple. There is an interesting small statue of Gatbawi outside. It’s not a must see attraction, but the well kept grounds, and the outdoor statues make it an interesting stop.
After leaving Poeunsa, continue along the trail. The next landmark will be Teongunsa. I bypassed one temple on the left. It was locked, and there was no one there to attend to it. Teongunsa, sits behind a small rest area with a vending machine.
Teongunsa is another small temple, that wouldn’t be a tourist attraction by it self. But take a few minutes to enjoy it for what it is. Here you have a choice. You can take the hiking trail by making a left at the temple, or you can continue along the main path to Gatbawi.
If you continue along the main path You will soon arrive at Kwanamsa. The first thing you will see is an arch bridge. You can go under it, or continue along to the main path. The temple is being remodeled, and there is a new hall under construction. Kwanamsa is considerably larger than the first two temples, and it’s worth your time to poke around a little bit. There’s also a vending machine, and the last restroom stop for awhile. So take advantage of it.
At Kwanamsa is were the long staircase to Gatbawi begins. Look for the bell outside. If your walking up the stairs turn left, if your walking down the stairs turn right.
The staircase to Gatbawi is long, but it’s not especially difficult. It neither easy . It goes one way —
up. I recommend you stop at the stall have way up and enjoy a cup of yagcha. The first stall you see, is not the halfway mark, keep going to the next one.
Yagcha is a herbal tea. The taste is bitter, but when drank with the combination of sugar is palatable. You will be feeling better in no time. From the stall continue up about thirty minutes. Plus or minus depending on your fitness level.
Those who make it Gatbawi are blessed not only with the opportunity to see a masterpiece of Buddhist art, but also a spectacular view of the valley below, and the many mountains around Palgongsan. If you look hard enough you can see the high-rises of Daegu in the distant. You will then realize how far you are away from the urban jungle below.
When you’ve had your fill of Gatbawi you can either head back the way you came up, or take the route through Seonposa. I say through because Gatbawi is actually part of Seonpo temple, although it’s not evident while you are there.
If you want to take this route go down the staircase to the statue’s left. You will first see a small building that is part of Seonposa. If you look to your right there are bathrooms down the hill. But be forewarned, the bathrooms are rank.
Continue down the path and you’ll see the second installment of Seonposa. This addition is bigger than the first you passed. If you want to burn a prayer candle in the shape of your Chinese Zodiac you can, or enjoy a humble meal in the cafeteria.
The meal itself is not spectacular. You get a bowl of rice, a bowl of soup, and a meager portion of salted radish. The salted radish is not so meager when you taste how salted it is. I recommend mixing it with the rice. The meal is free, but a small donation is requested.
When you leave the temple complex, you should be at the bottom in twenty minutes. Here you can visit the main Seonposa complex. To get back to Dongdaegu catch bus number 311. You will need to change buses once after about 25 minutes. You will need to change to the 708 bus. You can write the bus number down on a piece of paper, or just say Dongdaegu to the bus driver and he should help you out.
Getting there requires about an hour bus ride from Dongdaegu, and another hour hike up the mountain.
If you enjoy the outdoors and need a breath of fresh air, the trip to Gatbawi is well worth your trip.
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I had a nice trip this Saturday to Palgongsan, just north of Daegu. I went with my girlfriend to visit Donghwasa Temple. The whole temple complex is a pleasant garden, surrounded by beautiful mountain peaks. The main gate is one of the largest temple gates I have seen, it straddles the road so it is possible to drive your car through it, but driving your car will deny you the pleasant walk to the temple.
There are many smaller temples and hermitages it the vicinity so it’s possible to spend an entire day in the area and not run out of sites to see. To get there take Bus Number 1 from outside Dongdaegu Station. Be careful that you get on the right Bus Number 1. It’s can be a little confusing, make sure it says Donghwasa on the outside. Buses Number 1 are express buses that travel to many areas around Daegu.
Donghwasa was built it 493 AD by Geukdaljonja, and was originally called Yugasa. In the 16th century it was the home to Priest Samyeong who commanded Buddhist monk soldiers during the Imjin War with Japan. Donghwasa was their base of operations.
Just down the road from Donghwasa is the Tongil-daebul Buddha Statue. It is reported to be the largest in the world, and contains two pieces of Buddha’s bones given by the Myanmar Government.
If your a temple aficionado you will want to add Donghwasa to your itinerary while you are in Korea. To view Donghwasa in WikiMapia look at the image below. Dongwhasa is incorrectly labeled in English. The site labeled Dongwhasa is the Tongil-daebul Buddha Statue, the site above is the temple.
