Silleuksa Temple

Korean temples are almost always in mountains, which is what makes Silleuksa unusual: it stands on a bluff directly above the Namhan River at Yeoju, and the water is part of every view from it. The foundation is traditionally attributed to the seventh century, and the temple's standing rose in the fifteenth when it was made the guardian temple for the tomb of King Sejong nearby. Its landmark is the brick pagoda on the rock above the river - Goryeo in date and one of very few brick pagodas in the country, most Korean pagodas being stone - along with a marble multi-storey pagoda inside the compound, an old stone lantern, the Josadang hall which is among the older wooden buildings in Korea, and a ginkgo said to be around five hundred years old. Boats run on the river below and there is a walking path along the bank. It is ninety minutes from Seoul and combines with Sejong's tomb.

What you actually see

• The brick pagoda - the rare brick tower on the river bluff.
• The marble pagoda - the carved multi-storey tower in the yard.
• Josadang hall - one of the older wooden buildings in the country.
• The river frontage - the Namhan directly below the temple.

When to go

April to June and October to November; autumn colour along the river is the season. Mornings are quiet. It is a working temple with services.

Honest expectations

Ticketed entry. It is a working monastery - modest dress and quiet in the halls. Yeoju needs a bus and then a local connection or taxi.

Nearby

Yeongneung, King Sejong's tomb, is close; Yeoju's ceramic kilns and outlets are in the town.