Yakcheonsa Temple

SOUTH KOREA, Jeju, Seogwipo

Yakcheonsa means Medicinal Stream Temple. It is said to have been built over a stream where medicinal water flows, from which the name of the temple is derived. The temple was established in 1960 in the style of the early Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). It is one of the largest temples on Jeju Island.
The temple occupies an area of 12.2 ha and includes the Hall of Great Silence and Light, Hall of Great Light, Arhat Hall, Hall of the Three Sages, and the bell and drum towers. The Hall of Great Silence and Light, which takes up an area of over 2,600 sq m and is 30 m high, is considered to be one of the largest Buddha halls in East Asia. It was built in 1996 and is based on the Buddhist architectural style of the early Joseon dynasty. This hall is seven-by-five bays and has a triple-eave hip-and-gable roof. A 5 m high statue of Vairocana Buddha seated upon a tall lotus throne is enshrined within the hall, flanked by a seated Sakyamuni Buddha and Amitabha Buddha, as well as 1,080,000 small Buddha statues on the walls. The temple houses a rich collection of Buddhist texts and artifacts.