UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bulsuksa Temple in South Korea

In the historic city of Gyeongju in South Korea is a beautiful temple with a past full of myth and legend.

The temple is called Bulguksa which can be translated as Buddhist Country Temple. When I first read about the meaning of Bulguksa, I thought it was called this because it’s out in the country, but the real meaning is the Land of the Buddha, a heaven on earth, and if you use your imagination, you can easily picture the Nirvana this temple must have been in its glory.

Bulguksa is at the base of Mount Toham, 10 miles from downtown Gyeongju. Its history is long and interesting, however the historical records of ancient Korea are sometimes conflicting, so you might see different dates elsewhere. A small temple was originally built on the site in the year 528, then in 751 Kim Dae-seong built Bulguksa, of which the original stonework can be seen today.

The Myth of Kim Dae-seong
The story goes that he got his name because he had a big head with a flat forehead that looked like a big castle or dae seong in old Korean. He lived alone with his poor mother. He believed that his family was poor because they didn’t do any good deeds in their past lives. So he gave the family rice field to a nearby temple. He died soon after, but that night a spirit prophesied his reincarnation. After that, the Minister of State’s wife became pregnant, and when her baby boy was born he was holding in his hand the characters Dae-seong written in gold. The reincarnated Kim Dae-seong went on to build Bulguksa to honour his parents from his present life and to build the nearby Seokguram Grotto to honour his mother from his past life.

Bulguksa. The Seven Treasures Bridge can be seen in the foreground. The Blue Cloud Bridge and the White Cloud Bridge are in the background

A Description of Bulguksa
At the entrance to the temple you must pass The Four Heavenly Kings who are the protectors of Buddhism and guard against evil spirits. As you approach the stone walls which surround the main buildings you are still in the land of men, but beyond the walls is the land of Buddha. There are two sets of stairs to enter the temple proper. These are no longer used and there is an entrance at the side. The smaller stairs have a total of 17 steps and include the Seven Treasures Bridge and the Lotus Flower Bridge. The larger stairs, which include the Blue Cloud Bridge and the White Cloud Bridge, have a total of 33 steps to signify the 33 Buddhist heavenly realms. No mortar was used to hold the stones in place. While the original woodwork was destroyed in 1592 by invading Japanese, the masonry has survived a millennia and many earthquakes. The woodwork that can be seen today is from a renovation in 1973.

One of the four wooden guardians to the temple

As you leave the world of men and enter into Buddha’s land you can see two stone pagodas. Seokgatap is plain and simple while Dabotap is detailed and ornate. An image of Dabotap is on the back of the 10 Won coin. The construction of the pagodas has a sad legend to it. A renowned stonemason, called Asa-dal travelled from a far country to build the pagodas, leaving his wife, Asa-nyeo behind. Asa-dal completed Dabotap and as the years passed, Asa-nyeo became impatient and travelled to Gyeongju to see her husband. When she arrived at Bulguksa she was told that women could not enter the temple during the construction of the pagodas. She waited near the temple and a monk told her to wait next to a nearby pond, and to look for the reflection of Seokgatap in the water to know when it was finished being built. She waited and waited to see the reflection. But it never appeared. In her despair, she cast herself into the pond and drowned. When both the pagodas were complete, Asa-dal was told that his wife was waiting for him by the pond, but when he went looking for his wife, he was told of her death. He carved a stone Buddha statue in the likeness of his wife by the side of the lake and then returned alone to his distant home.

Dabotap pagoda. I don’t have a picture of Seokgatap :(

Inside the buildings of the temple can be seen gilt-bronze Buddha statues from the 8th century. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures taken inside the buildings, as photography would disturb the many practicing Buddhists who are there to pray. Don’t forget to take your shoes off before going into the temple building. If you want to show your respect to Buddha, you can bow three times.

If you really want to explore your spiritually more, you can stay at the temple overnight to experience the life of a monk.

After visiting the temple you can walk up the mountain path to Seokguram Grotto to see an amazing stone Buddha statue or there are lots of good restaurants nearby that serve traditional Korean food.

Best Time to Visit
One of the best times to visit the temple is in the autumn when the leaves on the trees are changing colour. It’s a beautiful time to be in Korea. If you’re in Korea during spring, you might be able to take part in the lantern parade to celebrate Buddha’s birthday. The date of his birthday varies, because the lunar calendar is used to calculate the date, but next year it will be on 19th May.

Lantern parade to celebrate Buddha’s birthday

How to Get There
The temple is quite far from downtown Gyeongju, so a taxi would be quite expensive. You can catch a number 11 or 12 bus from the bus stop across the street from the intercity bus terminal. It takes about one hour.

All photos taken by me. Check out more of my photography here: https://www.dreamstime.com/Mfharrison_portfolio_pg1#res2530922

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