Buseoksa, Buddhist temple in Buseok-myeon, South Korea.
Buseoksa is a Buddhist temple in Buseok-myeon, South Korea, built across the hillside of Mount Bonghwang in a series of terraced levels. The complex is made up of traditional wooden buildings connected by nine stone walls, including Muryangsujeon, Iljumun, Beomjongnu, Anyangnu, Seonmyogak, and Gwaneumjeon.
The temple was founded in 676 under King Munmu of the Silla dynasty and is among the oldest Buddhist sites in Korea. Its Muryangsujeon Hall has survived from that early period, making it one of the few remaining wooden structures of its age on the Korean peninsula.
The Muryangsujeon Hall is considered one of the holiest spots in the complex, home to an Amitabha Buddha statue placed on the western wall. Pilgrims regularly visit to pray there, and the hall holds a quiet reverence that is easy to feel even for first-time visitors.
The complex is explored on foot by walking gradually uphill along the stone walls and terraced paths. The ground can be uneven in places, so solid shoes are a good idea, particularly after rain.
Local records tell of a Chinese woman named Sunmyo who is said to have turned into a dragon to protect the temple. A small shrine called Seonmyogak was built inside the complex in her honor and can still be visited today.
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