Did You Know There Is A Golden Temple In Seoul? Find Suguksa Temple
I have lived in Seoul, Korea for quite awhile and I have seen a lot of Buddhist temples here. I love a visit to a temples in South Korea. They are peaceful and calming and beautiful. Often set up on the mountain or in forests, the views are good and the ambiance lovely. Most temples in Korea are painted reds and greens and maybe there’s a bit of yellow and white in the artwork. That’s pretty standard so when I saw a glimmer of gold as I drove down the street near my house and saw a sign for a temple, I was intrigued.
After visiting Suguksa Temple (수국사), I can say it’s definitely one of the most interesting temples in Korea to see. Looking for a beautiful Korean Buddhist temple in Seoul? Try to find this one.
Plan a trip tot his golden temple in Seoul:
- How To Get There
- Basic Info You Should Know
- History
- Nearby
- Temple Stay Programs
- Other Temples To See In Seoul
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How To Get There
Address: Eunpyeong-gu, Seooreung-ro 23-gil 8-5 (은평구 서오릉로23길 8-5 (구산동))
By Subway: Make sure to have your T-money card bought and topped up. From Gusan Subway Station, take exit 3 and make a u-turn and then just head west on the side walk. (Don’t cross the street.) Walk straight for about 1.5 kilometers and then you’ll see a sign that says Suguksa and points left. You’ll follow the signs into a neighborhood toward the hillside to find the temple. The walk will take about 25 minutes.
By Bus: From Gusan Subway Station, take exit 4 and make a u-turn and then head west on the side walk. (Don’t cross the street.) Walk to the first bus stop to find bus 8774 or 7720. You’ll go five stops. Get off and walk back the direction you came to the first cross walk. Cross the street and walk into the neighborhood and follow signs to Suguksa Temple.
Basic Info You Should Know
- Do note that this is an active temple so be respectful when you visit, keep quiet, and remember that this is a holy site.
- Visit the golden building and then be sure to walk behind the building to find a path into the forest. Follow it up for more.
History
In 1459, Crown Prince Uigyeong died when he was just twenty years old and his father, King Sejo, built a tomb for his son with a temple to the east to guard to the tomb. King Sejo wanted to honor his deceased son and wanted a temple that would provide treatments for royals that were afflicted by mental ailments and anxiety.
The temple was called Jeonginsa and was the predecessor to Suguksa. In 1712, this temple was also designated as the guardian temple for the tombs of King Sukjong and Queen Inhyeon buried at nearby Seooreung Royal Tomb grounds.
The name changed to Suguksa Temple (수국사) which means ‘the temple that protects the country’. After a fire at the temple during King Sunjong’s reign, the temple was left to decay for some time and then in 1900 it was rebuilt. At that time, King Sunjong fell ill and King Gojong, his father, asked Monk Wol Cho to pray for him. The prayers seemed to be effective and thus the king was impressed and offered the monk riches. The monk declined and instead asked for a gold covered Buddhist sanctum that ordinary citizens could visit.
The main building of the guardian temple is the Golden Buddhist Sanctum (황금보전) and it is covered in a special golden paper. Actually, the front of the building is covered in this special golden paper made for ancient buildings, the other three sides are painted gold just so you know. Still, it is a gorgeous building. Visit in the spring and you’ll find lotus lanterns hung around the grounds to celebrate Buddha’s birthday. In preparation for the Lotus Lantern Festival, the entire area is decorated and it’s gorgeous. If you can’t visit in the spring, the building still shimmers and shines in any light all year round.
Nearby
Seooreung Royal Tombs
Just up the road from Suguksa Temple is the beautiful Seooreung Royal Tombs park and vicinity. The paths are gorgeous and the forests are calm and inviting. There are numerous lovely cafes and restaurants here as well. If you want to visit this in the same day, check out this guide to the Seooreung Royal Tombs and what you can do there. It’s a great area to visit in every season. It’s gorgeous when it snows as well.
The grounds have signs telling the stories of the kings and queens that have been buried there. Walk around and get a pretty dramatic backstory about the Joseon Dynasty royals.
Eunpyeong Hanok Village
While most people know of the Bukchon Hanok Village, far fewer people know of the Eunpyeong Hanok Village. This village was built AS a tourist friendly area unlike the Bukchon Hanok Village which was and still is a residential area.
This area is beautiful and since it’s still largely off the beaten path for most people, it’s quieter. Walk the alleys and then head into the forest to see Jingwansa Buddhist temple which is a larger complex than Suguksa Temple.
Temple Stay Programs
Jogyesa Templestay Program: Jogyesa Temple in central Seoul has a great temple stay program that is two days and one night and gifts visitors the opportunity to stay the night in the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Listen to the sound of the Dharma Drum and learn about yourself. You can book your Jogyesa temple stay program here.
Geumsunsa Templestay Program: While Jogyesa is easy to get to and in central Seoul, there’s something to be said for getting up into the mountainside away from the hustle and bustle to experience a templestay program. Hear the birds chirping when you wake at sunrise and take a walk on the dirt paths in the forest. This temple is located in Bukhansan National Park so still easy to get to from Seoul but a completely different experience. You can book your Geumsunsa temple stay program here.
Hwagyesa Templestay Program: This temple which is also located on Mt. Bukhansan, this temple has an International Zen Center which is beautiful. This is where I had a temple stay and absolutely loved it. The two day, one night program was interesting and complete and visitors can take part in prostrations, a tea meditation, and really so much more. Look into booking this Hwagyesa temple stay program here.
Other Temples To See In Seoul
Bongwonsa Temple
Not to be confused with Bongeunsa Temple near COEX, Bongwonsa is a beautiful temple complex near Yonsei University. This temple is another one that gets overlooked by most tourists which means you need to visit it. Not only that, it has the largest wooden building made without nails in Korea. It’s a rather stunning complex that is on the side of Ansan Mountain, an awesome mountain that has cherry blossoms and even a waterfall!
If you want to learn more about Bongwonsa Temple, check out this post with more information on how to get there and what you can see.
Jogyesa Temple
Jogyesa Temple really needs very little introduction. It’s the most popular temple with tourists and visitors in the Insadong area in downtown Seoul. Even so, I feel like it’s good to remind that Jogyesa is well known for a reason. The temple is beautiful and they change installations seasonally. There are beautiful lanterns hung in the spring and flower installations in the summer and autumn.
You can go back again and again and have a different view. Check out this post for some more information on the installations you can see at Jogyesa Temple.
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One Comment
Leticia Freitas Dreviski
Loved your content. Very helpful and detailed. Just a question about your photos. What camera did you use to take the pictures? thanks a lot