Wawoojongsa Temple

SOUTH KOREA, Gyeonggi, Yongin

Wawoojongsa, which means Reclining Cow Temple, is the head temple of the Korean Buddhist Nirvana order. It is also known as Waujeongsa Temple. It was established by monk Haeduk in 1970 as a reflection of the founder’s hope for the reunification of North and South Korea.
The major buildings of the temple include the Great Hero Hall, Hall of Nirvana, Reunification Pagoda, and bell pavilion. The temple contains over 3,000 Buddhist statues, of which the most famous are the large Buddha head and the reclining Buddha statue. The 8 m head is situated at the entrance, on top of a high platform made from a pile of rocks. The Great Hero Hall enshrines the Five Dhyani Buddha statues, which are made from 30 t of brass and took ten years to sculpt. The Hall of Nirvana houses the reclining Buddha statue, which is 3 m high, 12 m long, and made from sandalwood. The bell pavilion contains the Reunification Bell which weighs about 12 t. The Reunification Pagoda is built with stones from various sacred Buddhist places around the world.