Hwaeomsa Temple, Gurye, South Korea

Hwaeomsa Temple, Gurye, South Korea

5, Baengnyeon-gil, Gurye-eup, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea

Due to the Joseon Dynasty — the kingdom closest to our modern history — being a Confucian state, Buddhism, which had long and deeply influenced the lives of the Korean people, came to be situated primarily deep within the mountains. For this reason, famous mountains tend to be home to a remarkable number of renowned temples. Jirisan is a treasured national mountain located at the southernmost end of the Baekdudaegan mountain range, and countless Buddhist temples came to be established throughout the surrounding area. Among all those temples, Hwaeomsa stands without question at the very top of the list.

Hwaeomsa Temple on Jirisan, easily accessible from Gurye-gun in South Jeolla Province by frequent local buses or taxi, was founded in 544 CE — the 22nd year of King Seong of Baekje — by the Indian monk Yeongi, who brought the Buddhist philosophy of Hwaeom (Avatamsaka) thought to flourish in the Baekje kingdom. After undergoing numerous restorations and expansions over the centuries, the temple was completely burned to the ground by the Japanese general Kato Kiyomasa in retaliation for the temple's monks organizing a resistance army during the Imjin War. It was later rebuilt during the reign of King Injo by the monk Baegam, and again during the reign of King Sukjong by the monk Gyepa. It was during this latter period that Gakhwangjeon Hall — the largest of its kind in Korea — was constructed, firmly establishing the temple as a grand monastery representing both the Seon and Gyo schools of Buddhism.

Of particular note, Hwaeomsa's Gakhwangjeon Hall, designated National Treasure No. 67, is a large-scale wooden structure rarely seen in temple architecture. Surpassing even Sudeoksa's Daeungjeon and Geumsansa's Mireukjeon in sheer size, Gakhwangjeon is an exceptionally rare cultural heritage that has been preserved since its construction during the reign of King Sukjong of Joseon. Built on the site where a three-story Jangnyukjeon Hall once stood, the hall was reconstructed by the monk Gyepa and features a hip-and-gable roof in the dapo bracket style, with seven bays across the front and five along the sides. King Sukjong himself bestowed the name and presented the hanging signboard, giving the hall the name Gakhwangjeon that it carries to this day. Standing before it, one is struck not merely by its scale, but by a sense of grandeur and solemn beauty that seems to resonate through the entire body.

Perhaps fittingly, the stone lantern standing before Gakhwangjeon is also unusually large and imposing — and it, too, is a National Treasure, designated No. 12. At this point, one begins to sense that this is truly no ordinary ground. As your gaze wanders, uncertain where to rest, you may notice in the distance a faint panoramic view of the villages nestled at the foot of Jirisan. Following the signs around to the rear of Gakhwangjeon and ascending partway up the hillside, you will come upon the Hwaeomsa Four-Lion Three-Story Stone Pagoda, National Treasure No. 35 — a remarkably unique and beautiful pagoda supported at its base by four stone lion figures.

Hwaeomsa Temple on Jirisan is, in every sense, the defining temple of the mountain: a place where diverse wooden and stone structures coexist in rare and remarkable harmony. Beyond being home to one of fewer than twenty National Treasure-class wooden buildings outside of Seoul, Hwaeomsa stands — in terms of its location, history, and scale — among the handful of temples that can truly be said to represent the very best of Korea's Buddhist cultural heritage.

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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