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GIANT Suspension Bridge (소금산 출렁다리) | Wonju Tour Part 3/3 (원주)
This is the third and final part of my day in Wonju City. For our last activity together that day, we decided to go climbing up Sogeum Mountain (소금산) up to the giant, wobbly suspension bridge at the top.
Special thanks to my friend 의주 for showing me around Wonju City, and for giving me to some really fun memories there.
The post GIANT Suspension Bridge (소금산 출렁다리) | Wonju Tour Part 3/3 (원주) appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.
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Sujeongsa Temple – 수정사 (Ulju-gun, Ulsan)
Sujeongsa Temple is a modern temple that’s home to nuns. It’s located in the northwest part of Ulsan in Ulju-gun down a long valley. Sujeongsa Temple is also just some twenty minutes away from the famed Tongdosa Temple. Sujeongsa Temple is located in a very rural part of Korea; in fact, it almost feels like you fall off the edge of the map. But in the process of retreating from the sights and sounds of modern Korea, you find a beautiful Buddhist temple.
Temple LayoutYou first approach Sujeongsa Temple up a narrow road down a long valley. After three kilometres, you’ll finally arrive at the Sujeongsa Temple grounds. The first building to greet you are the nuns’ dorms and visitors centre. Next to this building is a serene statue of Mireuk-bul (The Future Buddha). Almost as beautiful in composition are the guardians that surround the base of the five metre tall statue dedicated to Mireuk-bul.
Past the statue to the left is the ornately decorated Daeung-jeon Hall at Sujeongsa Temple. The exterior walls to the main hall are adorned with Palsang-do (The Eight Scenes from the Buddha’s Life Murals). In addition to these elaborate murals is a collection of gorgeous latticework adorning the front doors of the temple shrine hall. The latticework is adorned with the Sibiji-shin (The Twelve Spirit Generals). And at the base of the main hall’s front doors are intricate Gwimyeon (Monster Mask) reliefs.
Stepping inside the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll be greeted by a beautiful interior made vibrant by its colours and designs. The main altar is occupied by three main altar statues centred by Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha). This central image is joined on either side by Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom) and Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power). These three statues rest under an large, ornate, golden canopy. And the wooden altar that supports these three statues depicts the Palsang-do. To the right of main altar is a shrine dedicated to Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife). Next to this shrine are sixteen statues dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). And to the left of the main altar, and hanging on the far left wall, is an elaborate Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural) relief. This relief is joined by an additional seventeen statues dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal. All thirty-three statues are vividly rendered and beautifully painted. These thirty-three statues of Gwanseeum-bosal are meant to represent the thirty-three incarnations of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. And when we spoke to the head-nun at Sujeongsa Temple, she told us how she had had a dream about the thirty-three Gwanseeum-bosal that inhabit Mt. Botasan in China. Thus, the inspiration for the interior of the Daeung-jeon Hall. And finally, and rounding out the astounding beauty inside the Daeung-jeon Hall, is the octagonal dragon crest in the centre of the ceiling of the main hall. And the gorgeous pink lotus lamp that hang from the ceiling are made from the same material as airplanes (yes, airplanes).
The second temple shrine hall at Sujeongsa Temple is the Samseong-gak Hall, which sits to the left of the main hall. What makes this shrine hall so special is that the Samseong-gak Hall is built around an older shaman shrine hall. According to the head-nun, and the reason that there’s a shell of a Samseong-gak Hall surrounding the former Sanshin-gak Hall, is that she had a dream. This time, her dream centred on Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit). Originally, the head-nun had planned to simply knock down the two hundred year old Sanshin-gak Hall and build a new one in its place. However, Sanshin appeared to the head-nun in a dream three times. Strangely, Sanshin also appeared to the head-nun during a ritual ceremony at the older Sanshin-gak Hall. A photographer captured a picture of a pine tree on the neighbouring mountain appear as though it was on fire. The head-nun took this as a sign, so she built a new protective Samseong-gak Hall around the older Sanshin-gak Hall. The reason she did this, as she explained it, is that if she didn’t, someone would die.
Finally, there’s an outdoor shrine dedicated to Yongwang (The Dragon King) to the left of the Samseong-gak Hall. Out in front of the Yongwang shrine is a rounded stone and rough rock that are placed in front of the Yongwang shrine. Interestingly, the head-nun told us a story about the stone and rock. She said that you can pick up the rounded stone from the rock without first praying; however, once you do in fact pray, you’re no longer able to pick the stone up from the rock. Testing this theory, I couldn’t in fact lift the stone from its rocky perch after praying.
How To Get ThereWithout a car, this temple is very difficult to get to. In fact, I don’t think I would even venture to find it without a trusty car and GPS system. This temple is located on the southwestern side of Ulsan in the countryside. Other than that, it’s next to impossible to explain its location so good luck!
Overall Rating: 8/10Sujeongsa Temple is packed with originality and beauty starting with the Daeung-jeon Hall and continuing on to the two-in-one Samseong-gak Hall. Both the interior and exterior of the Daeung-jeon Hall are packed with vibrant colours, statues, and reliefs. Adding to the main hall’s artistic achievements is the highly original shaman shrine hall and the magical Yongwang outdoor shrine at Sujeongsa Temple. Sujeongsa Temple is an amazing place to visit for those that aren’t afraid of a little adventure.
The Mireuk-bul (Future Buddha) statue at the entry of the temple grounds. The latticework adorning the Daeung-jeon Hall. The main altar inside the Daeung-jeon Hall. The beautiful golden canopy (datjib) above the main altar triad. And the beautiful Palsang-do altar supporting the main altar triad. Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife) inside the Daeung-jeon Hall. Three of the Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) statues inside the Daeung-jeon Hall. And the ornate Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural). The octagonal, blue dragon crest adorning the ceiling of the Daeung-jeon Hall. The Daeung-jeon Hall and the Samseong-gak Hall together. A closer look at the unpainted Samseong-gak Hall. And a better look at the two-in-one shaman shrine hall. A look towards the Yongwang outdoor shrine and the magical stone that fronts it. —Dale's Korean Temple Adventures YouTube
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The Emergence of a Dynasty – The Silla Kingdom (57 B.C. – 935 A.D.)
The Silla Kingdom, which was located in the east to southeastern portion of the Korean peninsula, was one of the longest sustained dynasties in all of Asian history. The kingdom spanned an astonishing 992 years in length from 57 B.C. to 935 A.D. The Silla Kingdom was founded by King Hyeokgeose of Silla (r. 57 B.C. – 4 A.D.) in 57 B.C.E. around present-day Gyeongju. It started as Saro-guk, which was a city-state within a twelve member confederacy known as Jinhan. By the 2nd century, Silla existed as a distinct state within the region. And by the 3rd century, the Silla Kingdom expanded its influence over the neighbouring city-states; however, during this time, Silla was probably still nothing more than a strong member of a city-state confederacy.
At the time of King Jijeung of Silla’s reign, which lasted from 500 – 514 A.D., the Silla Kingdom was still politically and militarily weak compared to the neighbouring kingdoms of the Baekje and Goguryeo Kingdoms. However, under King Jijeung of Silla’s reign, Silla achieved important advancements in agricultural technology like plowing by ox and extensive irrigation. These advancements resulted in social and cultural developments and reforms in Silla society. As a result of these advancements, the Silla Kingdom gained land. Finally, during the reign of King Jijeung of Silla’s successor, King Beopheung of Silla (r. 514 – 540 A.D.), the social and governmental reforms were fully in place with a centralized aristocratic state. With a strong monarchical central government, the Silla Kingdom was ready to expand both geographically and culturally.
Buddhism was first introduced to the Silla Kingdom in 263 A.D. by the Goguryeo monk Ado. However, when Ado first attempted to teach Buddhism, the Silla people almost killed him. Unfortunately, Ado had to hide at the Buddhist sympathizers’ house, Morye, who would help shelter future Buddhist monks like Ado and Mukhoja. Both would secretly teach Buddhism, while also curing royalty like the daughter of King Michu of Silla (r. 262 – 284 A.D.). Initially, people expected the miraculous from Buddhism like the curing of royal ailments. Other monks like the Goguryeo monks Chongbang and Myoguch weren’t as lucky as they were killed for their Buddhist beliefs and efforts.
For all these reasons, it is commonly accepted that the Silla Kingdom was the last of the Three Kingdoms on the Korean peninsula to accept Buddhism. The main reason for this delay in accepting Buddhism, and was hinted at before, was the lack of a strong central government and monarchy for the longest of time. This weak foundation resulted in the delay in the acceptance of Buddhism. Once more, a Goguryeo monk by the name of Ado, which simply refers to monk in general, helped further introduce Buddhism to the Silla Kingdom. This time, Ado heard that a foreign envoy had brought King Beopheung of Silla incense. Master Ado traveled to the royal palace, and when he was shown respect by the foreign envoy, the king realized just how much Buddhist monks were and should be revered. It was only after this meeting that King Beopheung allowed Buddhism to be accepted, perhaps for foreign political gain much like the Goguryeo Kingdom to the north. And while the Silla people were the first to accept Buddhism, it was still resisted by a considerable number in the Silla aristocracy.
The Martyrdom of Ichadon. This mural can be found at Heungnyunsa Temple in Gyeongju.It was only after the martyrdom of Ichadon (501-527 A.D.), during the reign of King Beopheung of Silla (r. 514 – 540 A.D.), that Buddhism gradually gained the acceptance it would need to become recognized as the national Silla religion. According to the legend of Ichadon, and as recorded by both the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) and the Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), Ichadon was the nephew of King Beopheung. For a long time, King Beopheung wanted to make Buddhism the national religion of Silla, but he continually met opposition and resistance from the powerful Silla aristocracy. Wanting to help his uncle, Ichadon concocted a plan to help King Beopheung. So he told the king secretly, “If you want to spread Buddhism, please kill me.” The king was surprised by such a shocking proposition, so he asked Ichadon, “How can I kill you and raise Buddhism?” Ichadon answered, “In a saint’s teaching, there is a secret dharma. If I die, there must be a miracle. Intrigued, the king asked, “My understanding of the way of spreading Buddhism is to perform good deeds. How then can I kill my faithful retainer?” As a result of such uncertainty, King Beopheung rejected Ichadon’s proposal. So Ichadon took it upon himself to force the hand of King Beopheung. Ichadon spread a false royal order that stated that the king wanted a Buddhist temple built in the Cheongyeongnim Forest. The king deemed the rumour treacherous, and he was forced to sentence Ichadon to death because at that time, if you confessed to being a Buddhist, it was punishable by death. Before his execution, Ichadon prophetically stated, “If Buddhism is good then when my head is cut off, the blood that flows will be white.” And when Ichadon was in fact executed, white blood flowed from his head. Taking this as a miraculous sign of Buddhism’s power, the aristocracy no longer objected to the new religion. Just one year later, in 528 A.D., King Beopheung ordered that no living thing should be killed, which included Buddhists. As a result, Buddhism was recognized as the official religion in the Silla Kingdom.
While Buddhism was recognized as a religion in 528 A.D., it wasn’t until 535 A.D. that it became a national religion. It was also in 535 A.D. that King Beopheung built Heungnyunsa Temple in Gyeongju. When parts of this temple were completed, King Beopheung became an ordained monk, and he took up residence at the new temple. He was followed by his queen, when Yongheungsa Temple was built, and she became a Buddhist nun under the name of Myobeop, which means “Marvelous Dharma” in English.
Present-day Heungnyunsa Temple in Gyeongju.However, while tremendous strides were made during King Beopheung’s reign, it wouldn’t be until King Jinheung of Silla’s reign (r. 540 – 576 A.D.) that Buddhism, as a national religion, firmly took root. In 544 A.D., Heungnyunsa Temple was completed. In the spring of 549 A.D., a Liang Dynasty (502 – 557 A.D.) envoy brought Silla Master monk Gaktok back to the Silla Kingdom. With him, he brought about one thousand seven hundred volumes of Buddhist sutras. In 550 A.D., to show just how much Buddhism had become an integral part of Silla society, the king appointed Master Anjang, a Buddhist monk, to an important government post. Throughout this period, temples continued to spread like when the famous Hwangnyongsa Temple was completed after thirteen years of construction in 566 A.D. And like his predecessor before him, King Jinheung of Silla became an ordained Buddhist monk near the end of his life.
For the Silla Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Buddhism provided an ideology that would further help unify the nation behind a centralized Silla government. It was also at this time, coincidentally, that Silla started to become a mighty nation. In fact, the Silla Kingdom became so powerful that they unified the Korean peninsula and advanced Buddhism religiously, culturally, and artistically to unsurpassed heights. But more of that in a future post.
A computer image of Hwangnyongsa Temple from the Hwangnyongsa-ji Temple Site Museum in Gyeongju. —Dale's Korean Temple Adventures YouTube
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