Naksansa Temple

Gangwon Bike Path

Naksansa Temple (낙산사; map) is a 1500-year-old temple that rests on Nak Mountain (낙산; Naksan) along Yangyang County’s coast. It holds several distinctions:

It’s one of “Gwandong’s Eight Scenic Views,” or eight historic and scenic beauties of Gangwon State’s coast.
In Korean Buddhism’s Jogye Order, Naksansa is one of the main temples for praying to Avalokiteśvara (관세음보살), a buddhavista associated with compassion.
The Korean government named it Historic Site No. 495.

Throughout the seasons, people fill Naksansa Temple’s ground. Its setting along the East Sea’s coast and hilltop views make it a must-stop location for worshipers, sightseers, and students on school trips.

Inside Naksan Temple, you’ll find many historic treasures, including a treasured seven-story stone pagoda, a towering buddha statue, and a cliff-dwelling hermitage.

Let’s explore more.

Origins

Legend says that Naksansa Temple was founded by a monk named Uisang in 671 AD. According to the Samguk Yusa, Uisang meditated for 27 days on Naksan Mountain’s eastern cliff. His intention: to meet Avalokiteśvara (관세음보살), a buddhavista, or spirit on the path towards enlightenment.

Upon failing to see Avalokiteśvara, Monk Uisang stood to throw himself into the sea below, but saw a faint image of the buddhavista emerging from a cave below. The buddhavista handed Uisang a crystal rosary, and to ascend the mountain and search for a pair of bamboo shoots rising from the ground. There Uisang erected Wontongbojeon, Naksansa’s main prayer hall.

Disasters

While Naksansa Temple began 1.5 millennia ago, wildfires and wars have razed the complex’s historic structures. Let’s get a brief rundown of all the disasters:

In 1231, a Mongol Invasion destroyed most of the temple’s buildings. Korea’s King Sejo visited Naksansa in 1467. Finding the temple in ruin, he ordered it rebuilt.
Fires burned several buildings during the Imjin Wars (1592 ~ 98) and Manchu Invasions (1627, 1636 ~ 37). Workers rebuilt the temple site in 1624, 1631, and 1643.
Naksansa caught fire in 1777, but was rebuilt the following year.
The Korean War (1950 ~ 53) devastated the temple. It was rebuilt in 1953.

2005 Wildfire

Naksansa Temple’s largest disaster, however, occurred in 2005. A searing wildfire swept across Gangwon State’s coast and enveloped Naksansa. Monks equipped with fire extinguishers, and swarms of firefighting helicopters, could not slow the fire.

The blaze swallowed a bounty of historic artifacts, including the Naksansa Bronze Bell. A replica of the bronze bell was recast in 2006, and the original misshapen bell lost its National Treasure designation and now sits in the Uisang Daesa Memorial Hall.

Rebuilding

When workers began rebuilding Naksansa following the 2005 wildfire, they unearthed remnants of the ancient Naksansa Temple from the Silla Dynasty (57 BCE ~ 935 CE). That presented architects with a unique challenge. To which era should they restore Naksansa?

To its original form during the Silla Dynasty.
To its heyday during the Joseon Dynasty (1392 ~ 1897).
Or to its previous form: a slapdash assemblage of buildings erected after the Korean War.

Architects decided to recreate Naksansa’s appearance during the Joseon Dynasty, when the temple reached its peak.

In 2007, architects used a famed painting of Naksansa Temple painted Kim Hong-do (김홍도; 1745 ~ 1806) as a template from which to reconstruct Naksansa’s layout. They also planted fire-resistant trees and wind paths to funnel fire away from structures in case of another wildfire.

Inside Naksansa Temple

Let’s learn about Naksansa Temple’s major buildings and unique treasures.

Wontongbojeon Hall

Wontongbojeon Hall (원통보전; map) is Naksansa Temple’s main building. It houses a statue of a sitting Avalokiteśvara buddhavista, which was designated National Treasure No. 1362.

The statue is significant because Naksansa was founded around worshiping this buddhavista of compassion. In fact, Naksansa Temple is one of the three most important sites in Korea to pray to Avalokiteśvara, including Bomunsa (보문사; map) in Incheon and Boriam Hermitage (금산 보리암; map) on Namhae Island along the south coast.

Wontongbojeon’s Avalokiteśvara statue was an important element in a legend from the Samguk Yusa during the Three Kingdoms period (37 BCE ~ 935 CE). However, the current statue was built later during the Joseon Dynasty. Monks managed to save it from the 2005 wildfire.

The 2005 wildfire also partially destroyed a wall that surrounds Wontongbojeon. Built during King Sejo’s major restoration in 1467, workers took the ancient wall’s remnants and pieced it back together in 2007. Gangwon State registered it as a Tangible Cultural Property No. 34.

Seven-Story Stone Pagoda

Seven-Story Stone Pagoda of Naksansa Temple (낙산사 칠층석탑; map) sits in the courtyard in front of Wontongbojeon Hall. It was originally a three-story pagoda until King Sejo renovated Naksansa in 1467.

Made of granite with a bronze top, the pagoda’s design and placement — slightly off center with the prayer hall — are unique. Korea designated the pagoda National Treasure Number 499.

Fighting during the Korean War damaged the Seven-Story Stone Pagoda, with one of its four corners sheared off. But workers restored the pavilion to its original form.

Visit today and you’ll see hundreds of coins sitting on the ancient pagoda. Many believe their wishes will come true if they can get a ₩100 or ₩500 coin to land on the pagoda.

Seawater Avalokiteśvara Statue & Stupa

The Naksansa Seawater Avalokiteśvara Statue (낙산사 해수관음상; map) was the tallest Buddha statue along Korea’s east coast when it was erected in 1977.

Taking six years to carve and standing 15 meters tall, the buddhavista statue overlooks the East Sea atop a coastal cliff on Naksansa Temple’s east end. It serves as a landmark and reinforces Naksansa as the one of the main temple sights to pray to Avalokiteśvara.

Along coastal cliffs near the statue, find the small Naksansa Temple Seawater Avalokiteśvara Stupa (낙산사 해수관음공중사리탑; map). Completed in 1692, the granite stupa is Naksansa’s third National Treasure (No. 1723)

The 2005 wildfire missed the Seawater Avalokiteśvara Statue, but consumed the Avalokiteśvara Stupa. As restorers pieced the stupa back together, they discovered a hole containing artifacts that helped verify accounts of ancient life at Naksansa.

Hongryeon Hermitage

Hongryeon Hermitage (홍련암; map; Hongryeonam) is a small prayer hall that lies 10 minutes from Wontongbojeon Hall. One of Naksansa’s most photogenic sites, it perches on a tall cliff overlooking the East Sea.

Legend has it, one day a blue bird appeared to the founding monk Uisang as he prayed. It led him to a cave along the coast, where it disappeared. Uisang prayed in front of the cave for seven days and seven nights until Avalokiteśvara appeared on a lotus flower on the sea. Uisang then cleared the seaside spot and built Hongryeon Hermitage.

Step inside Hongryeon and you’ll find a small glass window that pears down into the coastal cave below. Legend says that if you peer into the window and see a dragon below, your wishes will come true.

The flames of the 2005 wildfire almost reached the doorstep of Hongryeon, but petered out on the rocky cliff, sparing the building.

Hongye Gate

Hongye Gate (낙산사홍예문; map; Hongyemun) is a stone entrance gate with an arched entrance and a wooden hip and gable lookout tower perched on top. King Sejo built it when he visited the temple in 1467. Gangwon State designated the structure Tangible Cultural Property No. 33.

The stones used to build Hongye were collected from nearby streams and rivers. The 26 granite stones used to create the gate’s main arch represent the number of municipalities in Gangwon State at the time of its construction. The lookout tower on top of the gate was built in 1962.

Naksansa Bell Tower

The wildfire destroyed the original Naksansa Bell Tower in 2005, melting the Naksansa Bronze Bell and removing its National Treasure designation. However, workers rebuilt Naksansa Bell Tower and recast a new bronze bell.

The new pavilion and bell don’t resemble the ones lost, but they maintain its Joseon-era design. Twice each day, monks ring the bell in the pavilion. You can find the original damaged bell in the nearby Uisang Memorial Hall.

Botajeon Hall

Botajeon Hall (낙산사보타전; map) is a large prayer hall built that sits in a courtyard adjacent to Wontongbojeon Hall.

Constructed more recently than Wontongbojeon, it houses a large Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara statue, and around 11,500 smaller Avalokiteśvara statues, reinforcing Naksansa Temple as one of the main destinations to pray to this buddhavista of compassion.

Uisangdae Pavilion

Uisangdae Pavilion (의상대; map) is an octagonal pavilion that rests on a seaside cliff near Hongryeon Hermitage. It is famous for its view of the sun rising over the East Sea.

According to legend, Uisangdae occupies the same spot where Monk Uisang once prayed.

An ancient hermitage sat at the same location, but fell into disrepair and was replaced by the current pavilion in 1925. Gangwon State designated the pavilion as Tangible Cultural Property No. 48 in 1974.

Four Heavenly Gates

The Four Heavenly Gates (사천왕문; map) of Naksansa Temple stands as an entrance to the Wontongbojeon Hall. Its architectural feature symbolizes the protective power of the Four Heavenly Kings, guardians of the Buddhist faith. Though the gates suffered damage in the 2005 wildfire, they were restored, preserving their historical significance.

Uisang Memorial Hall

Uisang Memorial Hall (의상기념관; map) is a museum that sits at the entrance of Naksansa Temple. It holds artifacts found at Naksansa and items related to Monk Uisang. The museum also holds the original, melted Naksansa Bronze Bell, and model representations of how Naksansa Temple appeared before the 2005 wildfire.