Guinsa Temple

Guinsa looks like no other temple in Korea. It is the headquarters of the Cheontae order, founded here in 1945, and rather than a courtyard compound on level ground it is built up the sides of a steep, narrow valley in the Sobaeksan foothills - fifty-odd buildings, several of them five and six storeys, in reinforced concrete faced and roofed in traditional timber style, packed so tightly that the path between them is effectively a staircase in a canyon of eaves. The main hall stands at the top of the climb. The order is large and the site can house thousands, so on ceremony days the valley fills. Whether it reads as impressive or as overbuilt divides visitors; either way it is unlike the UNESCO mountain monasteries and worth seeing for the contrast. Entry is free, a shuttle runs part of the way up, and the last stretch is a steady climb.

History

The temple dates from 1945, when the head monk Sangwol Wongak chose this narrow valley by his reading of the Lotus Sutra. Its first rebuilt hall was finished in 1966, the Cheontae Order was registered here in 1967, and the complex now has over 50 buildings (Wikipedia, Guinsa).

Highlights

• The stacked halls - multi-storey buildings up both valley walls.
• The canyon of eaves - the path climbing between them.
• The main hall - at the top of the ascent.
• The scale of the order - a working headquarters, not a museum.

When to go

May to June and October. Ceremony days are crowded; ordinary weekday mornings are calm. Winter here is cold and the climb icy.

Things to know

The buildings are modern concrete in traditional dress - people expecting an ancient temple are disappointed. The climb is steep and continuous. It is an active religious headquarters, so behave accordingly.

Nearby

Danyang, Sobaeksan National Park and the Gosu cave are within reach.

Key facts