Bongeunsa Temple

Bongeunsa is a mountain temple set right in the middle of Gangnam, facing the high-rise towers of COEX and the World Trade Center. It sits so close to the city that the temple gate stands just outside Exit 1 of Bongeunsa Station on Subway Line 9 — and its charm is the sudden shift from a walk among glass skyscrapers into wooden halls and pine trees. Founded in the Silla era and once a prosperous royal temple of the Joseon court, this 1,200-year-old temple is still very much alive today, with its giant Maitreya Buddha and its temple-stay program.

📖 The Story

✦ Highlights

• ›Daeungjeon (Main Hall)
  The temple's central worship hall; its painted eaves and wooden frame, backed by a pine grove, stand in striking contrast to the Gangnam skyline behind it.
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  Inside sits a wooden Shakyamuni Buddha triad carved in 1651 under the master sculptor Seungil — a masterpiece of late-Joseon Buddhist sculpture, designated a national Treasure in 2014. Circle the three-story pagoda and stone lantern in the courtyard, then look up at the sweeping hip-and-gable roofline from the bottom of the steps. During morning and evening services, chanting and the beat of the moktak drift across the courtyard, and for a moment you forget this is the middle of Gangnam.

• ›Panjeon and Chusa's Plaque
  The hall that stores the woodblocks of the Avatamsaka Sutra, bearing the 'Panjeon' plaque — the final work of the calligrapher Kim Jeong-hui, written three days before he died.
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  Built in 1856, Panjeon is the oldest building on the grounds (a Seoul Tangible Cultural Heritage). The monk Namho Yeonggi copied out all eighty volumes of the Avatamsaka Sutra commentary by hand and had them carved onto woodblocks — this hall was built to house them. Beside the name plaque is a small inscription reading 'written in sickness at seventy-one'; many consider its artless, almost childlike strokes the final summit of Kim Jeong-hui's calligraphy.

• ›Mireuk Daebul (Maitreya Buddha)
  A standing stone statue of the Maitreya Buddha about 23 m tall, completed in 1996 — among the largest stone Buddhas in Korea — looking out over the city.
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  Vowed in 1986, the statue took some ten years of work before its completion. The plaza at its feet is an open-air prayer ground, where bowing worshippers and travelers share the same space — a scene unique to this spot. Afternoon light falling on the south-facing figure makes for the best photos, and after dark the statue is lit up, blending with the office lights behind it into an entirely different night view.

• ›City Skyline View and Temple Stay
  From points around the grounds, the COEX and World Trade Center towers frame the temple halls in a single view, and an overnight temple stay lets you experience a mountain temple in the heart of the city.
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  Temple-stay programs are built around seated meditation, tea with a monk, and joining the dawn service, with sessions for foreign visitors as well (book ahead on the website). Around Buddha's Birthday in May the grounds fill with lotus lanterns, making an evening walk especially beautiful. If an overnight stay feels like too much, simply finding the spot where the skyline rises over the tiled roofs, taking a photo, and continuing onto the Sudosan meditation trail easily fills half a day.

🚶 Self-Guided Walk

1. 1Jinyeomun Gate
   The temple's front gate. 'Jinyeo' means 'true suchness' — passing through it symbolizes stepping into the Buddha's world. You can feel the noise of the high-rise district fade the moment you cross it.
   💡 It is right in front of you as you leave Exit 1 of Bongeunsa Station (Line 9).
2. 2Beopwangnu Pavilion
   The great pavilion between the front gate and the main hall — its name means 'where the King of Dharma dwells.' Beyond it opens the main courtyard with its three-story stone pagoda.
3. 3Daeungjeon and the Courtyard
   The temple's central worship hall. Take your time with the stone pagoda, the lanterns, and the painted eaves — then turn around: the Gangnam skyline hangs right above the tiled roofs.
   💡 The signature photo spot — traditional tiled roofs and skyscrapers in a single frame.
4. 4Mireuk Daebul (Great Maitreya Buddha)
   The roughly 23-meter stone Buddha on the hillside behind the main hall, facing south over the city. Stand in the memorial plaza at its feet and look up — the scale is best felt from below.
   💡 From the terrace beside the statue, the COEX and Trade Tower skyline lines up behind the Buddha — the angle of this page's cover photo.
5. 5Panjeon Hall
   Right beside the great Buddha stands the oldest building on the grounds (a Seoul Tangible Cultural Heritage). It houses the Avatamsaka Sutra woodblocks, and its name plaque is the very last calligraphy of Kim Jeong-hui, written three days before his death.
   💡 Look for the small seal inscription beside the plaque — it reads 'written in sickness at seventy-one.'
6. 6Sudosan Meditation Trail
   A forest path on the slopes of Sudosan that wraps around the temple grounds (opened in 2021). Finish your walk with a loop that looks down over the halls from above.

🧭 Visitor Info

💡 Good to Know

• Allow 40 minutes to an hour for the grounds, or about an hour and a half if you add the meditation trail.
• Take off your hat and leave your shoes by the door when entering a worship hall. Avoid photographing inside halls during services, but the outdoor grounds are free to shoot.
• Around Buddha's Birthday in May the grounds fill with lotus lanterns, and autumn colors around the great Buddha are superb. For a quiet visit, go early in the morning.
• Temple-stay programs run from day sessions to overnight stays, including programs for foreigners — book in advance on the temple's website.

🗺 Pair Your Visit