Yongjusa Temple

When King Jeongjo moved his father's tomb to Hwaseong in 1789 he needed a temple to perform the memorial rites, and he rebuilt an abandoned Silla-era site nearby as Yongjusa - which makes it one of the few Korean temples founded on royal filial obligation rather than monastic initiative, and it has functioned as a rite-keeping temple ever since. The bronze bell in the compound is far older than the rebuilding, believed to date from the Unified Silla period and designated a national treasure, hung in its own pavilion. The main hall holds a painted altar screen that has been attributed by long tradition to Kim Hong-do, the great late-Joseon painter, who was involved in the temple's decoration; attribution is debated by art historians and the temple states the tradition rather than the certainty. The approach avenue and the compound are quiet and the site is small. Sado's and Jeongjo's tombs at Yungneung and Geolleung are a short distance away and are the natural pairing.

What to look for

• The Silla bell - the national-treasure bronze in its pavilion.
• The painted altar screen - the work traditionally linked to Kim Hong-do.
• The main hall - the compound Jeongjo rebuilt in 1790.
• The rite context - the temple's continuing memorial function.

When to go

April to June and October to November. Mornings are quiet. It is a working temple with a full ceremonial calendar.

Practical notes

Small - an hour or so. The Kim Hong-do attribution is traditional rather than settled. Photography inside the halls is restricted.

Nearby

Yungneung and Geolleung tombs are close; Suwon's fortress is 30 minutes north.

Key facts