Bongeunsa, Buddhist temple in Samseong-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea

Bongeunsa is a Buddhist temple situated on Sudo Mountain slope across from COEX Mall in Gangnam. The grounds include multiple structures such as Jinyeomun Gate, the Beopwangru pavilion, and a 23-meter-tall Maitreya Buddha statue.

Founded in 794 by State Preceptor Yeonhoe as Gyeonseongsa, the temple was rebuilt in 1498 under Queen Jeonghyeon and renamed Bongeunsa, meaning 'honoring the king'. Queen Munjeong made it the main temple of the Seon sect from 1551 to 1936 and revived the monastic exam there from 1552 to 1564. A 1939 fire destroyed most buildings, and further damage came during the Korean War.

The name Bongeunsa means "honoring the king," adopted when Queen Jeonghyeon rebuilt the temple in 1498 to pray for King Seongjong. Visitors can join a Temple Stay that includes baru gongyang, a formal monk's meal eaten from a rice bowl called a baru. The street from the temple to the Park Hyatt Hotel is lined with vegetarian and upscale Korean restaurants.

Bongeunsa sits on the slope of Sudo Mountain in Samseong-dong, across the street from COEX Mall, and is reached by subway from Bongeunsa Station. The grounds climb the hillside, so expect stepped paths between halls. The temple runs a Temple Stay program that includes baru gongyang, a formal monk's meal eaten from a rice bowl.

In the 1925 Eulchuk flood, one of the worst recorded, Head Monk Cheongho Hakmil used temple funds to save 708 nearby residents. A monument commemorates this rescue, which followed his earlier efforts in 1922.