Haeinsa, Buddhist temple in Hapcheon, South Korea
Haeinsa is a Buddhist temple on Gayasan mountain in South Gyeongsang Province, in rural South Korea. The complex contains several wooden buildings from different periods, including the Janggyeongpanjeon depositories that house over 80,000 carved wooden blocks known as the Tripitaka Koreana.
Haeinsa was founded in 802 by two monks, Suneung and Ijeong, who had returned from study in China. Over the centuries, seven fires damaged the temple and many of its current buildings were rebuilt during the Joseon Dynasty.
The Janggyeongpanjeon depositories, where the wooden blocks are stored, use a natural ventilation system built into the design of the buildings themselves. Visitors can observe the halls from outside and see how the plain, aged woodwork still functions exactly as it did centuries ago.
The temple sits in a rural mountain area, so reaching it by car or bus from nearby towns like Hapcheon is the most practical option. Comfortable shoes are a good idea since the grounds involve slopes and uneven paths.
The Tripitaka Koreana was not carved at Haeinsa but on Ganghwa Island, starting in 1236, as a prayer to repel a Mongol invasion. The wooden blocks were only moved to their current location much later, where they have remained ever since.
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