- Address: 345, Buseoksa-ro, Buseok-myeon, Yeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- Phone: + 82-54-633-3464
- Website: www.pusoksa.org
Buddhist temple Pusoksa is located in the city of Yonju . It differs from others in its beauty and enormous size. Here are stored numerous national treasures. This is a very ancient structure, the first mention of the temple is found in the VII century.
Legend of the construction of the temple
Pusoksu built a famous monk Uysang on the orders of the king. He studied Buddhism for 10 years in China, then to bring this knowledge back home to Korea. The monk was going to use the Pusox temple to spread the teachings.
In China, Uysang met with Lady Sonmyo. When he was about to return home, Sonmyo jumped into the sea and drowned. After death, she became a dragon and followed the monk to protect him. When Uysang encountered difficulties during the construction of the temple, the dragon threw 3 stones to stop the crowd threatening him. One of them now stands to the left of the main hall of Murangsu-zen. Pusok is a stone in Korean, hence the name of the temple.
What can you see in the Pusoksa temple?
To the shrine is a long country road, with it a magnificent view of the valley. On the way to the temple courtyard visitors can enter the newly built museum, which stores all the valuable artifacts of Pusoksy.
The buildings of the temple complex are located on a mountain terraced slope. The main hall is at the very top, and on the first terrace there are pagodas. On the right on the hill stands the colorfully decorated Jiang-Zhong Hall. Above the main staircase is an open pavilion, in which hang a gong fish and a drum. In the far left building there are monastery dwellings.
Passing through the open pavilion, visitors enter a room called "Entrance to Paradise". Separately stands Murangsu-zen - one of the oldest wooden structures in Korea . It dates back to 1376 year. Inside the building is a small hall, it is decorated with a Buddha statue and one single picture.
To the right of the main building is a shrine - a small hall dedicated to Lady Sonmyo. Nearby there is a pagoda. You can go further along the path and get to the temple Josa-dang, dedicated to the founder of Pusoksy. This is the second oldest hall in the temple complex, it has been known since 1490. In the center of it stands a statue of Uysang. On the wall hang portraits of famous monks.
Further along the road there are several more rooms dedicated to the disciples of the Buddha. Going down from the hill, visitors are near the pavilion, in which there is a beautiful but modest bell of Pusoksy.
How to get there?
From Yonju to Pusoksu there is a bus from the bus station No. 55. The journey takes 50 minutes. The entrance ticket to the temple costs approximately $ 1.