Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju, South Korea

Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju, South Korea

385, Bulguk-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea

Bulguksa — a name alone that places it at the very top of Korea's most celebrated temples. When Koreans think of a Buddhist temple, Bulguksa is almost certainly the first that comes to mind, a place virtually every student has visited at least once on a school trip. But why exactly is Bulguksa so famous? That was the first question that crossed my mind as I set out to visit the temple once again. And yet, the moment I stepped through its gates, that question dissolved in an instant, just as it always has. I have visited Bulguksa countless times, from childhood through my university years, and the sense of wonder it inspires has by now become something I simply take for granted.

To begin with, Bulguksa is remarkably well-organized and maintained compared to most other temples in Korea. Passing through the Bulguksa tourist district that has developed in the surrounding area, the first thing to greet visitors upon entering the temple grounds is Cheongunggyo and Baekungyo — the Blue Cloud Bridge and White Cloud Bridge. Setting aside any religious context, these are among the finest stone structures in all of Korea, crafted from granite, and they carry forward the cultural spirit of the Silla period over a thousand years later. One cannot help but marvel at the cultural sophistication of the Silla people, who saw fit to fashion even the approach to a hillside temple hall into something so breathtakingly beautiful.

Today, visitors are no longer permitted to walk directly across Cheongunggyo and Baekungyo, as the structures are protected as cultural heritage. A separate pathway runs along the hillside to guide visitors in and out of the temple grounds, and following this route into the compound, one is met once again with a sight that stops the breath. Two stone pagodas unlike anything found elsewhere in the country rise to command the eye — and in doing so, instantly sweep away every impression left by the bridges just moments before. The distinctive beauty of Dabotap, National Treasure No. 20, and the elegant grace of Seokgatap, National Treasure No. 21, combine in a subtle harmony that evokes a world of reverence and spiritual devotion beyond compare.

What makes Seokgatap all the more remarkable is that in 1966, the Mugujeonggwang Daedarani-gyeong — National Treasure No. 126 — was discovered within it. Recognized as the world's oldest surviving woodblock-printed text, it stands alongside the Jikji Simche Yojeol, the world's oldest metal-type printed book currently held at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, as one of humanity's greatest documentary treasures and a testament to the outstanding printing culture of the Korean people. Standing before Seokgatap, which cradled this ancient scripture for a thousand years across the long passage of time, it feels as though anyone might naturally find themselves pausing to reflect on the course of their own life.

Bulguksa is one of the few temples for which a relatively precise and detailed founding date can be established, thanks to a surviving historical record known as the Bulguksa Gogeum Changgi. According to this document, Bulguksa was first founded in 528 CE, the fifteenth year of King Beopheung of Silla, and was later greatly expanded by Kim Daeseong, a chief minister during the reign of King Sinmun. The temple has since undergone numerous restorations and renovations to reach its present form. Even today it is a temple of considerable scale — and knowing that it was once even grander, one cannot help but wonder what it must have looked like in its prime.

At the summit of Tohamsan, the mountain on which Bulguksa sits, another great national treasure awaits — the stone grotto commonly known as Seokguram, officially designated National Treasure No. 24 under the name Seokbulsa Seokgul. Bulguksa alone would be more than enough, but Seokguram is simply not to be missed. Ascending to the peak of Tohamsan to pay respects before the principal Buddha enshrined within the grotto is an essential part of any visit to Bulguksa. With so many extraordinary cultural treasures demanding attention and description, there is little room left to linger over personal impressions — yet encountering such magnificent heritage, no matter how many times one returns, remains a deeply worthwhile and joyful experience.

If you would like to experience a unique side of Korea, the "Land of the Morning Calm," please feel free to reach out. I host small, private guided tours tailored for international visitors.

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