Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Not far from Busan, along the rocky coast, stands the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. It is one of the three temples in the country dedicated to the goddess of mercy. Moreover, if we believe its motto, it could grant one of our wishes.
The past of this temple
According to the legend, the Buddhist goddess of mercy appeared on the back of a dragon in the dreams of the monk Naong. She would then have whispered in his ear that she felt alone in the immensity of the ocean. Naong had the task of finding a suitable place to build a temple dedicated to this goddess. He accomplished this task with brilliance, and it is in the year 1376, during the Goryeo dynasty, that the Bomun temple was erected, on the edge of the cliff and on the side of the mountain, along the coast.
Unfortunately, during the period of the Japanese invasions (which took place from 1592 to 1598), the temple was almost completely destroyed by fire. It was not until 1930 that the temple was rebuilt as it was originally. The main shrine was not renovated until 1974 and the temple was renamed Haedong Yonggungsa ("Your sincere prayers can grant at least one of your wishes").
Not to be missed activities
Nestled between land and sea, this temple is a beautiful place that deserves to be visited more than once. Indeed, in addition to the statues and the multiple frescoes present in the 3 sanctuaries of the temple, it is a place which abounds in places which are emblematic for it.
You will be able, first of all, to admire the pagoda decorated with four lions referring to the 4 main
emotions: sadness, joy, anger and happiness.
Then, you will also be able to go down the 108 steps strewn around the temple. They symbolize the
108 steps towards spiritual awakening. At the bottom of these 108 steps, you will find a sculpture of
Podae-hwasang, incarnation of Mireuk-bul, the future Buddha.
Finally, you can walk along the alley of the 12 animal deities, symbols of the 12 signs of the Chinese
zodiac. According to the myths, they would protect the place by keeping away the evil spirits.
Also, on the way back you can linger on the visit of the traditional market which is at the doors of the temple. You will find a lot of souvenirs as well as all kinds of local culinary specialties.
Finally, although the temple is open all year round from 5am, you will enjoy your visit even more during these two periods:
- In spring, when the cherry trees adorning the temple are in bloom.
- In April, when the temple will be illuminated with lanterns for the Buddha birth celebration.
