Donghwasa, Buddhist temple on Mount Palgongsan, Daegu, South Korea
Donghwasa is a Buddhist temple on the southern slope of Mount Palgongsan in the Dong District of Daegu, South Korea. The complex holds several prayer halls, pagodas, and stone monuments, along with a large Medicine Buddha statue standing about 17 meters tall.
The site was first established in 493 under the name Yugasa during the Silla Kingdom period. It took its current name in 832 after a monk named Simji reportedly saw paulownia trees flowering there in winter, which was considered an unusual sign.
The temple runs a Templestay program where visitors spend a night on the grounds and join morning meditation sessions alongside resident monks. This program is common across Korea but draws many people to this site in particular because of its forested mountain setting.
The grounds are spread across a hillside, so comfortable shoes and enough time are both important for a proper visit. Some areas involve uphill walking, and reaching the large Buddha statue at the upper part of the complex requires a short hike.
The grounds hold fourteen objects designated by the state as cultural items, one of which is a three-story stone pagoda at Geumdangam that dates back several centuries. Few temple complexes in the Daegu region contain this many protected objects within a single site.
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