Naesosa, Buddhist temple at the base of Naebyeongsan Mountain, South Korea
Naesosa is a Buddhist temple at the foot of Naebyeongsan Mountain in Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. Its wooden buildings were assembled without iron nails and decorated with traditional Buddhist paintings.
Naesosa was founded in 633 by the monk Hyegu-duta during the Baekje kingdom, with a larger Great Soraesa and a smaller Small Soraesa; the former burned down and today's temple stands on the Small Soraesa site. All buildings were destroyed in the Japanese invasion of 1592–1597 and rebuilt in 1633 by Seon Master Cheongmin.
The temple holds four state-designated heritage items including a bronze bell from the Goryeo period and religious manuscripts. Visitors encounter these treasures within their original setting, where they remain part of the ongoing spiritual practice at this place.
The approach to the temple runs along a path lined with large fir trees, past two zelkova trees known as Dangsan Grandfather (over 500 years old) and Dangsan Grandmother (over 1,000 years old), and a 300-year-old bodhi tree in front of Bongnaeru Pavilion. The temple also runs a Templestay programme for visitors who want to take part in Buddhist practice.
The carpenter who built the Main Buddha Hall in 1633 spent three years carving wooden pillows that were fitted together as brackets. A child monk hid one pillow; the carpenter rejected it as contaminated when returned, so one bracket piece is still missing.
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