The most beautiful religious buildings Jeolla 전라도

It is said that under Silla, geomancy advised to build many Buddhist monuments in this part of the peninsula to restore the imbalance that the mountains made. Among these "counterweight" temples, Unjusa (founded in 827) was said to have had 1,000 Buddhas and 1,000 stupas up to Joseon. There are only 70 statues and bas-reliefs and 18 stupas left but they are original. Especially the two famous lying Buddhas, 12 m long. They are unique in Korea in their horizontal position, and in the unexplainable fact that one of the Buddhas is said to be female.

Route 15 from Gwangju and Hwasun to Boseong is very beautiful. A little way off to the left (it's well signposted) is the Ssanbongsa temple. We pass along a pretty alpine road with conifers and clean, timeless villages. The village before the temple is charming, with its old family altar(sadang), a pavilion by a stream in which you can bathe in summer. The temple is small but set in a pretty park. It caught fire in 1984, but has since been rebuilt. It features a very elegant 3-storey hall.

First you take a beautiful coniferous path, then you will see a courtyard hall and the monks' houses on the left. The temple was founded in 633 under King Mu of Baekje by the monk Hyegu. It was rebuilt a thousand years later. The main Dae-eungjeon hall has pretty sculptures on the ceiling. It houses the largest Buddhist fresco in Korea, a bodhisattva wearing a white dress. In the courtyard is a 3-storey stupa dating from Goryeo but in the Silla style. It is one of the most famous temples for its temple stay program.

It is considered one of the sambosachal (one of the three jewels of Buddhism). It has this rank because of the high number of renowned monks who have been trained there. In this temple located on the western slope of the Jogyesan one can admire some treasures in particular like the Bisari Gusi which is a very large container for rice (enough for 400 monks it seems). There are also the Ssanghyangsu, which are two magnificent Chinese junipers, and the Neunggyeonnsa, which is the name of a plate with particularly complex patterns.