Beopjusa Temple, Korean Buddhist temple in Boeun-gun, South Korea
Beopjusa Temple is a Korean Buddhist temple on Songnisan Mountain in Boeun-gun, in the Chungcheongbuk-do Province of South Korea. It serves as the head temple of the fifth district of the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist order in Korea.
The temple was founded in 553 during the Silla Dynasty by a monk named Uisin, who had traveled to India and returned with Buddhist scriptures. In 766, a monk named Jinpyo helped expand the site, after which the surrounding mountain took the name Songnisan, meaning 'mountain separate from the world'.
The temple sits within Songnisan National Park, and walking trails lead directly to the main complex from the park entrance. Going early in the day is a good idea, as the grounds are quieter and the morning light fills the wooden buildings in a way that rewards the walk.
According to tradition, the founder Uisin returned from India riding a white donkey, which is an unusual detail not found in other Korean temple founding stories. The mountain around the temple also shelters twelve small hermitages, each of which can be visited separately from the main complex.
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