Bongwonsa Temple

SOUTH KOREA, Seoul

Bongwonsa refers to the neighborhood of the Seodaemun district in Seoul, where the temple is located. Situated on the side of Ansan Mountain, it is the Head Temple of the Taego Order of the Seon school. The temple was originally established as Banyasa (Prajna Temple) by Doseon in 889. It was reconstructed after the temple was destroyed by fire in 1592 during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). In 1748, Masters Chanjeub and Jeungam oversaw the relocation of the temple to Bongwon, which resulted in its name change. The temple has been enlarged on a number of occasions.
The main buildings of the temple consist of the Great Hero Hall, Three Thousand Buddha Hall, Ultimate Bliss Hall, Maitreya Hall, Seven Star Shrine, and Judgment Hall. The three-by-three bay Great Hero Hall has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The Three Thousand Buddha Hall, which was rebuilt in 1911, is considered to be one of the largest wooden structures in Korea.