Muryangsa Temple, Buyeo, South Korea

Muryangsa Temple, Buyeo, South Korea

203, Muryang-ro, Oesan-myeon, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea

The first thing that struck me upon my visit to Muryangsa Temple was the traces left behind by Kim Siseup, the author of Geumo Sinhwa (New Tales from Gold Turtle Mountain). Known as one of the most brilliant minds of the reign of King Sejong in the early Joseon Dynasty, Kim Siseup — who went by the pen name Maeywoldang — was a wandering scholar who spent his life roaming the country after the traumatic coup of 1453, in which Prince Suyang seized the throne from the young king Danjong in what became known as the Gyeyujeongnan. Through his years of restless wandering, he left his mark in many places and produced a remarkable body of written work. In his final years, Kim Siseup entered Muryangsa Temple, where he passed away, leaving behind a portrait and a memorial stupa. Muryangsa is nestled at the foot of Mansusan Mountain in Buyeo County, South Chungcheong Province. It is not a particularly well-known tourist destination, and the surrounding area is largely free of commercial development, but the roughly two-kilometer stretch from the Oesan Township Office to the temple entrance unfolds as a quietly beautiful rural landscape.

Oesan Township lies along the road connecting Buyeo to Daecheon, and as such it has an intercity bus stop. From that stop, one can walk this neither-too-short-nor-too-long path at a leisurely pace and step into the temple grounds, where National Treasure No. 356 — the Geungnakjeon, or Hall of Paradise — comes into view. A two-story wooden Buddhist hall of rare design, it is a timber-framed structure of incomparable beauty. No precise records survive, but it is said that the temple was founded in the ninth century by the Venerable Beomil and that the great late-Silla monk Master Muyeom once resided here; it appears to have undergone major reconstruction during the Goryeo period. The five-story stone pagoda designated Treasure No. 185 and the stone lantern designated Treasure No. 233, both within the temple grounds, are believed to date from that same era.

Muryangsa was burned to the ground during the Japanese invasion of 1592 and was extensively rebuilt in the early seventeenth century; the main hall, Geungnakjeon, is the wooden structure erected during that period of reconstruction. The first floor spans five bays across the front and four bays along the sides, while the second floor is three bays by two — a double-story, hip-and-gable roof construction. The interior is open from floor to ceiling, with no division between the two levels. A two-story hall is an uncommon sight in ordinary Buddhist temples, yet it does not possess the imposing grandeur of the Mireukjeon at Geumsansa Temple. It feels, rather, like precisely the right scale for Muryangsa — no more, no less. Thanks to the double-story Geungnakjeon, the temple precinct, which might otherwise feel sparse and open, achieves a sense of vertical balance.

Perhaps owing to the lingering presence of Kim Siseup, the atmosphere within the temple grounds is one of stern solemnity. For reasons difficult to name, a quietly somber quality permeates the space, lending it a heavy, abiding gravity. The path leading straight from the Sacheongwangmun — the Gate of the Four Heavenly Kings — is interrupted by the five-story stone pagoda before continuing to the foot of the two-story Geungnakjeon. The various halls, large and small, are arranged around this central axis, and as is the case with most Buddhist temples, their placement in harmony with the surrounding natural terrain feels like nothing less than the most fitting choice possible.

There are no notable amenities in the vicinity, only the ordinary scenery of a farming village — and yet this is, perhaps, precisely what makes Muryangsa so compelling. There is nothing especially spectacular here, and the historical records are far from complete, but Muryangsa Temple on Mansusan Mountain in Buyeo, where the spirit of Kim Siseup seems to breathe still, is a place I would urge every traveler to visit at least once.

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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