Travel Guide Tongdosa 통도사

Located north of Busan, this temple is one of the holiest in the country. It was built in 643 by the monk Jajang, who, after a stay in China, brought back relics of the Buddha (bone, tooth, piece of robe). It remains the result of reconstructions in the 17th and 18th centuries but the finesse of its architecture is remarkable. We are greeted by the very beautiful Gate of the Kings of Heaven, guardian statues of the temple, before which Buddhists bow three times on their arrival and departure. The1st hall is the hall of paradise dedicated to Amitabha. It contains delicate ancient paintings. The Ordhakuta hall is later discovered, in reference to the mountain on which the Buddha preached the lotus sermon. A little further up, one can see the Gate of Non-Duality (Bulimun). Built in 1305, it contains calligraphy by Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Chinese Ming dynasty. Among the structures that the temple has, the most important is located at the far end. It is the beautifully proportioned Daeungjeon Hall, which houses the relics of the Buddha. On the side, a window overlooks the diamond platform (Vajra). Here is the Seokga Saritap containing the holy relics. At the entrance of the temple is a museum with the most important collection of Buddhist paintings.