Jeondeungsa, Buddhist temple in Ganghwa Island, South Korea
Jeondeungsa is a Buddhist temple on Ganghwa Island with multiple worship buildings arranged around a central courtyard and surrounded by fortress walls. The grounds contain several halls dedicated to meditation, prayer, and the preservation of important religious texts and objects.
The temple was established around 381 during the early Buddhist period in Korea. It received its current name after a royal gift of a jade-mounted lantern, marking an important moment in the site's development.
The main worship hall preserves sacred Buddhist scriptures brought here in the 16th century, showing how deeply this place connects to Korean spiritual life. Visitors walking through these spaces can sense the religious meaning that has drawn people here for centuries.
Visitors can join multi-day temple stay programs that include meditation sessions, traditional Korean meals, and overnight stays in simple rooms. The site is easiest to navigate during quieter weekday mornings when fewer people are present.
The temple houses a bronze bell cast in 1097 that is designated as a National Treasure and stands out from other Korean bells by its unusual construction. This ancient bell lacks a standard acoustic feature found in typical temple bells.
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