Wolmyeongam Hermitage
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Location236-180, Naebyeonsan-ro Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryTour/ Temple ∙ Local Confucian school
- Korean월명암
- Chinese月明庵
- FieldReligion / Buddhism
- Contents TypeOrganization / Buddhist Temple
- Original Location236-180, Naebyeonsan-ro Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Current Location236-180, Naebyeonsan-ro Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Definition
- A temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, located in Junggye-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
- Summary
- Located at Ssangseonbong Peak in Byeonsan-myeon, Buan, Jeollabuk-do, Wolmyeongam Hermitage is a branch temple of Seonunsa Temple, which is the main temple of the 24th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The temple is regarded as one of the three major spiritual temples in the Honam area (the southwestern region of Korea), along with Taegosa Temple at Daedunsan Mountain and Unmunam Temple at Baekamsan Mountain. It is situated about two kilometers from Namyeochi, which is a 50-minute walk from the temple.
- Background of Construction and Development
- Wolmyeongam Hermitage is a historic temple that is said to have been founded by the Buddhist monk Buseol in 691 (11th year of the reign of King Sinmun). It is also said that the temple was rebuilt by a monk named Jinmuk after it was burned down during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. Jinmuk also trained many disciples during the seventeen years that he spent at the temple. Two and a half centuries later, in 1848 (the 14th year of the reign of King Heonjong), and 1863 (the 14th year of the reign of King Cheoljong), a monk named Seongam undertook a full-scale extension of the temple. During the modern period, the Bongnae Zen Center, a famous meditation center for high priests such as Haengam, Yongseong, Goam, Haean, and Sogong, was ocated at the temple.
However, the temple was burned down in 1908 (the 2nd year of the reign of King Sunjong) due to its resistance to Japanese imperialism, when it served as the base for a righteous army, and was only rebuilt by Hakmyeong with great difficulty in 1915. Unfortunately, the temple was completely destroyed by fire during the Korean War (1950-53), and was rebuilt by a monk named Wongyeong (according to the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, it was rebuilt in 1956). The temple was established in its current form at the end of 1990, when a monk named Go Gyeong-hyeop oversaw the extension and reconstruction of Daeungjeon Hall, Gwangeumjeon Hall, Myojeokam Hermitage, Jonggak Pavilion, and Yosachae (temple dormitory).
- Career
- The temple serves as a Zen meditation center focused on prayer and meditation, and provides Buddhist services (including a lotus lantern event and inscriptions of prayers on roof tiles).
- Current Status including the Organizational and Architectural Status
- Wolmyeongam Hermitage is composed of diverse buildings including Daeungjeon Hall, Gwangeumjeon Hall, Inbeopdang Hall, Myojeokam Hermitage, Buddhist Bell Pavilion, Unhaedang (Yosachae - temple dormitory), Sugak Pavilion, and Wolsangwon (temple dormitory).
Daeungjeon Hall has a half-hipped roof and measures five kan (a unit of measurement referring to the distance between two columns) at the front by two kan at the sides; Gwangeumjeon Hall has a half-hipped roof and measures three kan at the front by two kan at the sides; Inbeopdang Hall has a half-hipped roof and measures five kan at the front by three kan at the sides, and bears the plaque “Wolmyeongam.”
The temple also has a number of subsidiary facilities such as Myojeokam Hermitage, Saseong Zen Center, and Yosachae (temple dormitory). Two stupas are located on the upper side of Myojeokam Hermitage, of which the Bell-shaped Stupa on the left is claimed by the temple to be that of Buseol. Cheongok is the head monk of the temple, which has about 1,500 adherents.
- Related Heritage Items and Sites
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Buseoljeon (The Tale of Buseol), a kind of novelistic record about the achievements of Buseol, the founder of Wolmyeongam Hermitage, was designated as Jeollabuk-do Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 140. Wolmyeongam Hermitage is one of the Eight Scenic Sites of Byeonsan, and is famous for certain associated expressions, such as wolmyeongmuae, which loosely means “the dawn moon seems dim due to dense fog,” and seohaenakjo, which means “the magnificent sunset of the West Sea.”
- See Also