Jeondeungsa Temple

Jeondeungsa claims a foundation in the fourth century, which would make it among the oldest temple sites in Korea, and it is unusual for sitting inside a fortress: Samnangseong, an earth and stone rampart on the hills of southern Ganghwa, traditionally attributed to the three sons of Dangun, encloses the whole valley the temple occupies, and visitors walk in through a fortress gate rather than a temple one. The main hall, Daeungjeon, rebuilt in the seventeenth century, carries the detail everyone is shown: four small carved wooden figures of a naked woman crouching under the corners of the eaves, holding up the roof. The story is that the carpenter was cheated by a woman he loved and carved her into the roof to bear the weight and hear the sutras forever - a folk explanation for what may simply be a nari figure. From 1660 the Jeongjoksan archive inside the walls held a copy of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. The wooded walk round the ramparts is part of the visit.

What to look for

• The eave figures - the four carved women under the roof corners.
• Samnangseong - the fortress wall enclosing the temple valley.
• Daeungjeon - the seventeenth-century main hall.
• The rampart walk - the wooded circuit round the walls.

When to go

April to June and October to November; autumn colour inside the walls is good. Mornings are quiet. It is a working temple with services.

Good to know

Entry is ticketed at the fortress gate and there is a climb from the car park. It is a working monastery - modest dress and quiet. Ganghwa is two hours from Seoul by bus.

Nearby

Manisan and the Ganghwa dolmens are on the same island; Seokmodo is over the bridge.

Key facts