Golgulsa, Buddhist temple in Gyeongju, South Korea
Golgulsa is a temple complex on Mount Hamwol featuring multiple caves carved into limestone cliffs alongside traditional wooden structures with tiled roofs. The buildings span several levels across the mountainside, integrating natural rock formations with architectural design.
The temple was founded around 1,500 years ago by Master Gwangyu, who arrived from India and established the site. A carved seated Buddha statue from the 9th century Silla Dynasty remains one of the temple's most important artworks.
The temple maintains Sunmudo, a Korean Buddhist martial art that blends meditation, physical movement, and breathing techniques. Visitors can watch monks practicing this discipline daily throughout the grounds.
The temple offers year-round accommodation through Temple Stay programs where visitors can participate in meditation, archery, chanting, and Buddhist ceremonies. Activities happen at set times and require advance registration.
The temple grounds contain multiple meditation caves dedicated to different Buddhist deities such as Avalokitesvara, Ksitigarbha, and Medicine Buddha. Each cave functions as a separate retreat space for specialized practices.
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