Tag Archives: temples

Buddhist culture Gyeongju hiking history Statues & carvings Temples & shrines tips for tourists

Hiking Namsan (남산): The Secrets of Samneung Valley (삼릉골)

Maitreya Buddha, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

20 ft. Maitreya Buddha, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

Gyeongju’s Mt. Namsan (남산), or literally “South Mountain”, may not be among the tallest or most beautiful mountains in Korea, but to me it’s one of the most magical.  It might look gentle from the side, but up close Namsan’s got enough steep valleys, twisting peaks and craggy boulders to give any hiker a run for their money.  Not to mention, it’s a treasure trove of ancient Shilla (신라) Dynasty ruins and carvings.  Its peaks and valleys are scattered with over a hundred pagodas, hermitages, and stone Buddhas dating back 1,300 years. read more »

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San-shin (산신): The Korean Mountain Spirit

Sanshin Painting,  Sambulam Hermitage, Gyeongju

San-shin Painting, Sambulam Hermitage, Gyeongju

If you’ve been to a Buddhist temple in Korea before, you might‘ve noticed a little shrine to the back of the temple that’s home to the image of a bearded old man with an odd-looking tiger laying at his feet.  This wise and aged being is not some kind of Buddha or Bodhisattva, but rather the San-shin (산신), or Korean Mountain Spirit.  He is a key deity in indigenous Korean Shamanism (무교) and he happens to be one of my favorite figures in Korean mythology. read more »

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Tips for Tourists: Housing Links and Other Websites

Sarangchae Guesthouse (image from kjstay.com)

Sarangchae Guesthouse (image from kjstay.com)

I was online this afternoon checking out local pensions for Chuseok when it dawned on me that I’ve been seriously delinquent in updating the “Links” section of this blog over the summer.  In fact, for a blog that targets tourists, I hadn’t really posted that many websites for hotels and what not around Gyeongju.  After several hours rectifying this oversight, I’ve compiled a formidable (if not definitive) list of local links.  Here’s a brief rundown of what I’ve found:

Hotels and Housing

Down around the bus station are scads of love hotels and tourist motels.  As they’re already pretty easy to find, I’ll link to the Gyeongju Tourist Hotel as a typical example of the whole lot.  Instead, there are a few more traditional guesthouses around town that’d give you a more unique experience, like the Sundo Sanbang Guesthouse or the Shillabang Gueshouse.  And of course there’s the classic Sarangchae Guesthouse tucked away next to Daereungwon Tombs Park. read more »

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Manbulsa (만불사): Temple of Ten-thousand Buddhas

Buddha Labyrith, Manbulsa Temple, Yeongcheon

Buddha Labyrinth, Manbulsa Temple, Yeongcheon

If you’ve ever taken the bus from Gyeongju to Daegu, you might’ve caught a fleeting glimpse of a giant golden Buddha off in the mountains to the north.  No, this isn’t some apparition induced by sleep deprivation or soju poisoning.  This huge Buddha actually overlooks Manbulsa (만불사), or literally “Temple of Ten-thousand Buddhas,” nestled at the foot of  Mt. Gwansan (관산) on the way to Yeongcheon (영쳔). read more »

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Video: Seonmudo (선무도) Demonstration

Last month my University asked me to help guide a tour of Korean-American students around Gyeongju for a day.  That afternoon we stopped by Golgulsa (골굴사) Temple for a short lesson in Seonmudo (선무도), or Korean Zen martial arts.  In all the times I’d been to Golgulsa, I’d never actually seen what Seonmudo actually is.  Luckily for us the monks gave a demonstration after the lesson and got to show off some of their top moves.  I had my handycam with me, so here’s a short 3 minute video of some of the highlights I’ve edited together. read more »

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Itinerary: 10 Days in Gyeongju

Tongdosa Temple, South of Gyeongju

Tongdosa Temple, South of Gyeongju

Not to become a broken record or anything, but most tourists just bounce down to Gyeongju for a long weekend, hit up the big tourist sites, and head home Sunday night. It’s a shame really. You can barely even scratch the surface of what Gyeonju has to offer in 2 days. To finally prove what I’ve been harping on so long, I’ve cooked up a 10 day itinerary for visitors to Gyeongju. That’s right: over a week and a half of things to see and do in the area.  If you don’t have 10 days, feel free to pick and choose what suites your liking.  But here are some ideas for exploring a deeper side of Gyeongju and Korea as a whole. read more »

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Buddhist culture Gyeongju Sites to see Temples & shrines

Pear Flowers (배 꽃) & Bokwonsa Temple (복원사)

Pear Flowers of Nae Tae Village, Gyeongju

Pear Flowers of Nae Tae Village, Gyeongju

The other Sunday the sun was finally shining after a solid week of rain.  My wife and I hopped in the car and took off to explore the countryside determined to enjoy some of the hard-earned Spring weather.   As luck would have it, we drifted back some country roads going west out of town, and found ourselves in a remote farming valley in the shadow of Mt. Eorimsan (어림산). read more »

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Special Events for Buddha’s Birthday (석가탄신일): Friday, May 21st

Coming up in about a week and a half is my absolute favorite holiday in Korea: Seokga Tanshinil (석가탄신일), or Buddha’s Birthday.   Every temple in Korea celebrates Buddha’s Birthday one way or another.  Most hang lanterns, have special ceremonies and serve a special group lunch or dinner for parishioners.  A few of the larger or more historically important temples will host special musical performances or hold a lantern parade in the evening, just after sun down.

This year, Seokga Tanshinil falls on Friday, May 21st.  In Gyeongju, there are 3 particularly special events that happen for Buddha’s Birthday that shouldn’t be missed.  If you’ve got a car, or you’re adventurous with public transit, you could easily hit all 3: read more »

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Seogyeongsa (서경사) Japanese Zen Temple

Seogyeongsa Japanese Zen Temple, Gyeongju

Seogyeongsa Japanese Zen Temple, Gyeongju

The other week my wife and I were walking through an older neighborhood of Gyeongju on our way downtown to grab a burger at McDonalds (Yeah, yeah. I know, but she’s pregnant.  I’m not going to argue.)  About a block from the courthouse, we turned the corner and stumbled on something we’d not seen since our last trip to Kyoto:  the sweeping rooftop of a Japanese Buddhist temple. read more »

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Links: San-shin.org

Korean Mountain God with 8 Daoist Immortals (from san-shin.org)

Korean Mountain God with 8 Daoist Immortals (from san-shin.org)

Like a lot of posts on this blog, I’d meant to get something up on San-shin.org ages ago.  If you’re at all interested in traditional Korean culture, this site’s an awesome resource.  It’s a treasure trove of info on everything from Korean Shamanism and Buddhist culture to folk art, feng shui, hiking and green tea. read more »

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