Themes · Korean Buddhism
Korea has close to a thousand old temples, almost all hidden in the mountains since the Joseon dynasty drove Buddhism out of the cities. Here are the ones that really matter, where they are, and how to look at them.
Updated 7 October 2026
Most of the great temples are working monasteries, set at the head of a valley, at the end of a forest path that is part of the visit. You come as much for the setting as for the buildings.
Entry has been free at the great majority of Jogye Order temples since 2023, when the heritage admission fee was abolished. A few sites — Bulguksa, Seokguram, some private temples — followed suit or keep a small charge: check on the spot. Temples are open every day, from dawn to dusk.
The Buddha jewel, near Busan. The main hall contains no statue: a window opens onto the stone reliquary said to hold relics of the Buddha himself. The country's largest temple, UNESCO-listed. Bus from Busan or Ulsan.
The Dharma jewel, on Mount Gayasan. It keeps the 80,000 woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana, carved in the thirteenth century, in depositories that are themselves UNESCO-listed.
The Sangha jewel, near Suncheon. Sixteen national masters were trained here, and it remains one of the country's great meditation centres. A mountain trail links it to Seonamsa in three hours.
In Yeongju. Its fourteenth-century Muryangsujeon hall is one of the oldest wooden buildings in the country, and the view from its terrace over ridge upon ridge is the most famous in Korean architecture.
In Songnisan National Park. It houses the only five-storey wooden pagoda surviving in Korea, and a 33-metre gilt-bronze Buddha.
Near Andong. Small, intimate, with the oldest dated wooden building in the country.
Near Gongju, in a bend of the river. A peaceful setting, especially lovely in spring.
Near Suncheon. A perfectly arched stone bridge at the entrance, centuries-old plum trees, and an atmosphere that has stayed very untouristy.
In Haenam, at the far south of the peninsula, at the foot of Mount Duryunsan. The cradle of Korean tea culture.
The seventh monastery in the series, already listed among the Three Jewels.
In Gyeongju: the masterpiece of Silla art, with its stone terraces and two pagodas, and the granite Buddha in his grotto above. UNESCO-listed since 1995.
The headquarters of the Jogye Order, right in central Seoul. Small, but this is where the heart of Korean Buddhism beats; unforgettable under the lanterns in May.
In Seoul, an eighth-century temple amid the towers of Gangnam.
Busan's great temple, on the slopes of Geumjeongsan.
In Busan, one of the few temples built by the sea, on the rocks.
On an east-coast cliff, with a great white statue of the bodhisattva of compassion facing the sea. Rebuilt after a fire in 2005.
In Odaesan, at the end of an avenue of century-old firs, with a nine-storey stone pagoda.
At the foot of Jirisan. Its Gakhwangjeon hall is one of the largest wooden buildings in the country; red plum trees bloom here in March.
In Yesan. Its main hall, dated 1308, is a model of restraint.
In Buan, on the west coast. An avenue of firs, then lattice doors carved with flowers and left unpainted.
In Hwasun. A small valley strewn with dozens of rough stone pagodas and Buddhas, two of them lying on a hillside. A temple like no other.
In Danyang. The headquarters of the Cheontae Order: dozens of modern buildings stacked up a narrow gorge. Spectacular and disconcerting.
On Ganghwa Island, inside a fortress.
You first pass the one-pillar gate, which marks the entrance to sacred ground, then the gate of the Four Heavenly Kings, guardians with fearsome faces.
At the centre, it houses the historical Buddha. If it is called Geungnakjeon, it is dedicated to the Buddha of the Western Paradise; Birojeon, to the cosmic Buddha.
Of stone, in the courtyard, it originally held relics. The number of storeys is always odd.
The green, red and blue patterns painted under the eaves protect the wood and mark a sacred or royal building.
It holds four instruments — bell, drum, wooden fish, cloud-shaped gong — struck at dawn and dusk for all beings.
Right at the back, a small shrine to the spirit of the mountain, often shown with a tiger: a trace of the shamanism that predates Buddhism.
Early morning or late afternoon, once the coaches have left. Attending the evening ceremony, around 6 pm, changes the visit.
In May every temple is covered in paper lanterns for a month. It is the most beautiful time of year to see them.
You enter halls by the side doors, shoes off, and do not photograph worshippers at prayer. See etiquette.
Many of these temples host visitors for a night. See sleeping in a temple.
Three or four are plenty for one trip. Choose them for their setting rather than their fame.