The Vicinity of Naesosa Temple
Guardian Tree in Seokpo-ri of Naesosa TempleThe “Grandma” Guardian Tree in Naesosa Temple located in Seokpo-ri, Jinseo-myeon, Buan-gun. To the left of the tree is Bojonggak Pavilion featuring the Goryeo Dongjong Bell, which is designated as Treasure No. 277. Behind the tree, Gwaneumbong Peak is visible.
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Location243, Naesosa-ro Jinseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryCultural Heritage / Tangible Cultural Heritage
- Korean내소사 일원
- Chinese來蘇寺一圓
- Nickname능가산 내소사
- FieldReligion / Buddhism
- Contents TypeHistoric Site / Historic Site (General)
- Current Location243, Naesosa-ro Jinseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Original LocationBuan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Definition
- A historic Buddhist monastery located in Seokpo-ri, Jinseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, and the area around the monastery.
- Summary
- Naesosa Temple of Neunggasan Mountain is located at the foot of Gwaneumbong Peak (also called Neunggasan Mountain, 433m) at the southern end of the Byeonsan Peninsula, in Seokpo-ri, Jinseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Background of Construction
- Naesosa Temple was founded as Soraesa Temple in 633 by a Buddhist monk of Baekje named Hyegu Duta. The temple originally consisted of two separate temples, Daesoraesa and Sosoraesa, but the first was destroyed by fire while the second survived to become the present-day Naesosa Temple. While no one knows exactly when their names were changed, it was during the fifteenth century that the temple began to be referred to as Naesosa and Soraesa in the writings of Joseon men of letters. However, the second name fell out of use in the nineteenth century.
Little is known about Naesosa Temple’s existence during the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392), except that a three-story stone pagoda was built there sometime in the mid-Goryeo period. Historical records show that its main gatehouse, Bongnaeru, was built in 1414, and that the temple printed a copy of the Lotus Sutra the following year. Its main prayer hall, Daeungbojeon Hall, was renovated in 1633 when the temple was headed by Seon Master Cheongmin, and its dormitory, Seolseondang Hall, was newly built with a lodge for the temple community in 1640. The temple was almost totally destroyed by the huge fires that struck Byeonsan in 1810, but it was able to recover with the renovation of Manseru Hall in 1823 and the relocation of the Goryeo bronze bell from the Cheongnimsa Temple site. The renovation of the temple, which was led by Seon Master Gwanhae in 1911, included repair work on the temple’s main dharma hall (Daeungbojeon) and the construction of two new prayer halls, Gwansimdang and Byeogandang. In 1963, three of the temple’s prime cultural heritages, the bronze bell, the Lotus Sutra and Daeungbojeon Hall, were designated as Treasures. The two gate buildings, Iljumun and Sacheonwangmun, were built in the 1980s, followed by further renovation and construction projects in the 1990s and 2000s, resulting in the temple we can see today.
- Location
- Naesosa Temple is located at #243Naesosa-ro, Jinseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do at the foot of Neunggasan Mountain (509m). The site is situated four kilometers southwest of the fishing village of Gomso which is, in turn, twenty kilometers southwest of downtown Buan-eup, and twelve kilometers from Julpo Port.
- Forms
- The entrance to Naesosa Temple consists of two gates, Iljumun (Single-Pillar Gate) and Sacheonwangmun (Gate of Four Heavenly Kings), between which runs a 540-meter-long road lined with tall fir trees. The Sacheonwangmun Gate is flanked by low walls dividing the temple sanctuary from the outside, while inside the gate is a large courtyard with Hwaraewon Teahouse on its left and a guardian tree, called Grandpa Dangsan, at its center. The guardian tree, worshipped as the spouse of Grandma Dangsan, who stands just outside the Iljumun Gate, is connected with two shrines, Chilseonggak (Hall of the Seven Star Sprits) and Sansingak (Hall of the Mountain Deity) that were built when Korean Buddhism was combined with folk religion after the Imjin waeran (1592-1598), the seven-year war between Korea and Japan triggered by the Japanese invasion of Joseon in 1592.
Behind the guardian tree stands a pavilion-style gatehouse (Bongnaeru), together with two bell towers (Bojonggak and Beomjonggak) on opposite sides of the courtyard. As the columns of the original gatehouse were too short to provide a proper entrance to Naesosa’s main dharma hall (Daeungbojeon), it was recently renovated so as to function properly as the gate to the hall. Two buildings, Museoldang Hall and Seolseondang Hall, stand opposite each other on each side of the yard formed between Bongnaeru and Daeungbojeon. The main section of the temple sanctuary occupied by Daeungbojeon Hall and the Bongnaeru Gatehouse, which is enclosed by the ridges of Neunggasan Mountain, was expanded rapidly in recent times with the construction of new buildings, prayer halls, and other monastery facilities. The current temple site covers a total area of 16,737㎡.
- Current Status
- Historical records show that Naesosa Temple underwent a major renovation in 1633 which involved the construction of its main dharma hall (Daeungbojeon), Seolseondang House, and a lodge for the monastic community. The temple underwent another major renovation work in 1911, consisting of repair work on Daeungbojeon Hall and the construction of two new buildings, Gwansimdang Hall and Byeogandang Hall. In 1963, the temple’s three main cultural heritages, a bronze bell dating back to the Goryeo period, a copy of the Lotus Sutra, and the main dharma hall (Daeungbojeon), were designated as Treasures. A series of renovation and construction projects began in the late 1980s, resulting in the creation of some of the temple’s most prominent buildings, including its two main entrances, Iljumun and Sacheonwangmun Gates.
In the 1980s, Naesosa Temple consisted of eight buildings including Daeungbojeon Hall, Seolseondang House, Bongnaeru Gatehouse, Bojonggak Bell House, Three-story Stone Pagoda, Buddha’s Hall, monastic community lodge, and a lavatory, of which four - Daeungbojeon, Seolseondang, Bongnaeru and the lavatory - have been preserved in their original locations, while the other buildings constituting the present-day temple were either built or rebuilt in and after the second half of the 1980s. For example, the Bojonggak Bell House was moved from its original location to one side of the front courtyard of Bongnaeru, arranging it to face Beomjonggak Bell House on the opposite side of the yard. The temple continued to spread across the area to the right of the Seolseondang and Beomjonggak with the construction of new facilities in and after the second half of the 1990s, including Hoeseungdang Hall and Bongnae Seon House. The temple also has two subsidiary hermitages, Cheongnyeonam and Jijangam. In 1986, the area within a 500-meter radius of Daeungbojeon Hall was designated as Provincial Monument of Jeollabuk-do No. 78. The 600-meter-long road of fir trees between the two entrance gates, Iljumun and Cheonwangmun, and the floral latticework doors of Daeungbojeon Hall are famous tourist attractions.
Naesosa Temple contains several heritage items protected by law, such as the Bronze Bell of Naesosa Temple (Treasure No. 277), Daeungbojeon Hall of Naesosa Temple (Treasure No. 291), the Hanging Painting of the Assembly at Vulture Peak of Naesosa Temple (Treasure No. 1268), the Three-story Stone Pagoda of Naesosa Temple (Tangible Cultural Heritage of Jeollabuk-do No. 124), and Seolseondang Hall and Community Lodge (Tangible Cultural Heritage of Jeollabuk-do No. 125). Of these treasures, Daeungbojeon Hall, built in 1633, is particularly highly regarded for its architectural merit and the latticework of its doors, which are adorned with intricate color patterns (dancheong) and floral carvings.
- Historical Significance
- The Fir Woodland Trail linking the two entrance gates of Naesosa Temple has been widely praised for its scenic beauty, which was expressed long ago with the laudatory phrases, “pine wind and fir rain,” “verdure of April,” and “white blossoms of winter.” The natural beauty of the road has led to its inclusion as one of the Eight Views of Byeonsan and its listing as both a Beautiful Woodland and a Beautiful Road of Korea. Daeungbojeon Hall, as a three-bay by three-bay structure with a hip-and-gable roof fitted with a multi-cluster bracket system, is regarded as a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture of the mid-Joseon period, while Seolseondang Hall and the Community Lodge are regarded as fine examples of architectural planning of temple buildings in the southern part of Korea.
- See Also
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- Daeungjeon Hall of Gaeamsa Temple, Buan
- Daeungbojeon Hall of Naesosa Temple, Buan
- Three-story Stone Pagoda of Naesosa Temple
- Seolseondang Hall and Dormitory of Naesosa Temple
- Naewonam Hermitage
- Wolmyeongam Hermitage
- Naesosa Temple
- Gaeamsa Temple
- Naesosa Temple Stay
- Byeonsan Peninsula
- Transcription of Saddharmapundarika Sutra (The Lotus Sutra) in Ink on White Paper