Geumsansa Temple

Geumsansa lies at the foot of Moaksan between Jeonju and Gimje, founded in the Baekje period and expanded under Later Baekje in the tenth century. Its distinguishing building is the Mireukjeon, rebuilt in 1635 after the invasions: from outside it reads as three storeys of roof, and inside it is a single open volume rising the full height, with a standing Maitreya of about twelve metres filling it - the only three-storey wooden hall left in Korea and a National Treasure. The compound holds several more designated pieces: a hexagonal multi-storey stone pagoda in slate, a five-storey stone pagoda, a stone lantern, a lotus-carved pedestal and an ordination platform on a terrace above the courtyard, which together make it a dense site for anyone interested in stonework. The valley walk in from the gate is pleasant and the trail continues to the Moaksan summit for a longer day.

What you actually see

• Mireukjeon - three roofs outside, one open volume inside.
• The standing Maitreya - twelve metres within the hall.
• The stone pieces - pagodas, lantern, pedestal and platform.
• The valley approach - the walk in from the gate.

When to go

April to June and October. Buddha's Birthday fills the compound with lanterns and people. Weekday mornings are calm.

Honest expectations

Photography inside Mireukjeon is restricted and the interior is dim. Ticketed, with a commercial street before the gate. The buildings are seventeenth-century rebuilds, not originals.

Nearby

Jeonju's hanok village is about 25 km; the Moaksan trails start here.