KICK ASS KOREA reason 10

This remote Buddhist Temple on the Far East side of Busan initially wasn’t a part of my plan. It’s not on the subway system. The tour bus I was on went no where close to the location. Yet it was on my Busan City Tourist map and the sight of that little Buddha statue right on the shoreline overlooking the sea proved to be too much for me to deny.

At Hauendae beach I bid farewell to the tour bus. My intention to walk to the temple was short lived. I soon realized I’d spend the rest of my trip either, at best, walking in circles or, at worst, completely lost. I slipped into a taxi and sped off with the window rolled down and a spring breeze in my face.

At the temple I learned from an overeager volunteer that the temple was built during the Goryeo Dynasty, under the ruler Uwang, in the year 1376. He promised my visit would be memorable and shooed me on to follow the crowd. As I worked my way through the multitude of stalls selling trinkets and snacks his excitement for my visit rubbed off. I found myself walking down a narrow stairway with a smile, not knowing exactly what I would see but anxious just the same. The zest with which women in heels, old ajummas, and fathers toting babies nimbly took to the steps made my journey seem clumsy in comparison. These are the 108 Stairs, but I didn’t count to ensure the correct number.

Once down the main staircase, through the underbrush and shrubbery, I could steal glimpses of the wonders just around the corner: splashes of burnt sienna, reds, and distinct sloping roofs. A final set of stairs before a bridge and short tunnel gave me full purview of the Hadedong Yonggungsa. Crumbling stone walkways, an outcropping of temples sidled against the hilltops, a looming Buddha Statue and the sea crashing against the bluffs below. I had thought Beomeosa Temple was the wonder of Busan, but clearly I was wrong.
Statues of the twelve zodiac animals and of Buddha decorate the walls and pathways. People place coins directly on the statues when they pray. There are also huge stone bells composed of smaller rocks. Highlights include the humongous golden statue of Buddha that gleams in the sunlight. The main pagoda stands three stories tall and is flanked by four lions that symbolize happiness, joy, anger and sadness. A steep climb near the golden Buddha leads to a platform with a statue that overlooks the temple grounds.

From there I noticed an entirely different section of the temple. There families sat around the rocky outcropping taking a rest or grabbing a quick snack. A bright red bridge led to more rocky terrain where couples skipped rocks across the sea and kids tossed rocks trying to make the biggest splash. I snapped a few pics and then turned back around to run the gauntlet of souvenir stands out of the grounds.

I admit part of me wants to buy the touristy Buddhist knick knacks, but another side pipes up and whines how that that would be tantamount to sacrilege: buying holy items as if they were common cell phone trinkets. Then again I’m sure Buddha wouldn’t mind. I settled on a waffle cone and departed Yonggunsa spiritually and physically satisfied.

Busan-si Gijang-gun Gijang-eup Sirang-ri 416-3
Bus No. 139, 140, or 2003 / city express bus No. 239 or 302-1