Nammireuksa Temple: The Largest Seated Buddha In Asia Is In Jeollanam-do, Korea

I have definitely visited my fair share of Buddhist temples in Korea. I love visiting the temples honestly. They are calming, always quiet, and while many people see a few and think they’ve seen them all, I never think that and have definitely been able to find unique aspects of every one I’ve visited. One such trip to Jeollanam-do had us passing by Nammireuksa Temple (남미륵사) and while there really was nothing else in the area to see, I couldn’t resist a stop.

This temple in Korea really does stand out from the rest in a few ways for me so I wanted to do a whole post so more people make the stop while in the area too. Want to find a unique Buddhist temple in Korea? Add this to your list when you visit Jeollanam-do.

Here’s what to find in this post:

• How To Get There
• Basic Facts
• Nammireuksa Temple
• Where To Stay In Gangjin

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.)

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How To Get There

Address: 24-13 Pungdong 1-gil, Gundong-myeon, Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do (전남 강진군 군동면 풍동1길 24-13)

While you could technically do this as a day trip from Seoul, I wouldn’t recommend it. It will be a long long day trip. Make a weekend of it and spend a weekend down in Jeolla. There are a lot of things to do in Jeollanam-do so take advantage of the time.

By Car: Obviously the easiest way to get to the area is by car. There really isn’t much around there. If you’re looking to take adventure and don’t have a car, look into renting a car in Korea. It’s easy and will make your itinerary more flexible.

By Train/Bus: From Seoul’s KTX Station, you can take a train down to Gwangju which takes two hours. From there you need to take bus 02 for 26 minutes to Gwangju’s Bus Terminal and then get a bus to Gangjin Bus Terminal which will take an hour and 15 minutes. Then you can catch local bus 13-8 which will take you 21 stops over 35 minutes to the parking lot of the temple.

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Basic Facts

Hours: 9:00am ~ 6:00pm year round

The Lotus Pond is a must see from July to August when a monk sits on the Victoria Lotus Leaf which is more than 2 meters in diameter.

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Nammireuksa Temple (남미륵사)

Nammireuk Temple isn’t the oldest in Korea and was only founded in 1980 by Monk Seok Heung Heung but it is one of the most stunning temples in Korea that I’ve seen. It is the main temple of Mireu Buddhism and for 38 years, the monk cultivated a rather stunning garden around the temple.

One thing that is so intriguing about this temple is that though other temples are generally built with this “open concept” and you can see all of the buildings from one main vantage point, Nammireuksa requires you to walk through a secret garden like maze of pathways to see each area of the temple. There is extensive landscaping, numerous gardens, and even a lotus pond.

This year we decided to take a spring tour of Jeollanam-do and after stopping through Jindo where the Miracle Sea Road Festival takes place, we headed north again and stopped here. We were there just a bit early, but there are a TON of flowering azalea bushes and flowering trees on the grounds which makes spring one of the BEST times to visit… if you can plan it just right. We were about two weeks too early unfortunately. But the aisles and hidden paths definitely made it fun for us and our daughter to wind beneath trees and along bushes.

Oh, and be sure to peer into the bushes because there are hundreds of statues of different monks hidden behind and beneath them. It was a bit creepy for a moment when we first noticed all of the little faces peering out of us and then became more and more intriguing to see each and every different one. The time it must have taken to make so many different ones. We only spotted them because the spring flowers and summer leaves hadn’t yet covered them.

Actually, when the azaleas bloom, you wouldn’t be able to see these statues at all. From the entrance gate, Iljumun Gate, to the main hall, there are over 500 Naha, or apostles who reached enlightenment through practice, statues to see.

The whole place gave me vibes of The Secret Garden and I LOVED that. The courtyard in front of Daeungjeon Hall has a 13 story stone pagoda. You can spend quite a bit of time in the courtyard looking at each statue, but remember to be respectful of the worshipers and monks you see as this is not just a tourist stop but is a practicing temple.

Walk further in and there’s a temple building that you must remove your shoes to walk over a bridge that is over a pond. Be careful if you have little ones. There were fish in the pond and there are no railings on the bridge so I could just imagine my little lady toppling right in as she enjoyed the fishy friends down below.

The most famous part of the temple is the seated Amitabha Buddha statue which is the largest seated brass Buddha in Asia sitting at 36 meters tall and a 32 meter circumference. Around it are 258 prayer wheels with a Buddhist prayer in Sanskrit and four Chinese characters at the top of every wheel. You should turn each prayer wheel and walk around the giant Buddha at least three times for the full effect.

It’s a quite stunning set up on the perch looking down and if you’re lucky like we were and are the only ones there, definitely take the time to sit down and enjoy the views.

If you can visit in the summer months of July and August, you’ll be able to see monks sitting on gigantic lotus leaves in a pond near the end of the walk through the grounds. The Victoria lotus lily has some of the largest lotus leaves in the world and the leaves are known for their circular shape that can measure between one and two meters in diameter. The plant is a native South American plant, but this is the spot to see them in Korea. The flowers only blossom at night and are white when they first bloom but turn purple soon after that first bloom. Nammireuksa Temple actually has over 100 different types of lotus plants on their 85 hectares of land that have been collected from thirty different countries.

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Where To Stay In Gangjin

Gangjin is a great quaint area of Korea to stay in if you have the time. When it comes time to plan your itinerary into Jeollanam-do, look into a stop in the area for at least a night. In the spring, there are lanes and lanes lined with cherry blossom trees and just gorgeous places to visit. Here are a couple places to stay in Gangjin that look just perfect.

Ne Lumin Museum 2

This place immediately struck me as I love artistic places and this combines art and Hanok and stay! The Hanok has been remodeled so it’s comfortable and yet still has historic charm. Large windows have been added for more light and on the grounds is a gallery with a cafe inside for a perfectly comfortable experience. Book a stay here on Airbnb.

Gangjin Nature Stay

Also a traditional home that’s been remodeled for more modern convenience, this house is in the countryside of Gangjin, though really much of Gangjin feels like countryside. The house was built with organic materials including cypress wood and there’s an organic garden in front if guests want to have an organic farming experience. There are free bikes to use and an area to BBQ. It’s really a comfortable stay for any adventure. Book a stay here on Airbnb.

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