When the Temple Meets the Sky

Writer: Celine Jun

Name: Buseoksa Temple

Architect: Unknown Architect

Approximate Date: 676 C.E.

Materials: Wood, Stone, Clay

Location: Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province

When I visited Buseoka, there was a quiet and calm atmosphere that the temple brought. There were not a lot of people, but it felt like one of the famous tourist places in South Korea. Many celebrities uploaded on their instagram. The walk up was intriguing but the view was worth it. The mountains felt like it protected the temple from the rest of the world. 

The temple looked like it was sitting on the edge of the sky. It gave me this weird sense of calm nature like there was a different world beyond the sky. THe emotional chasm and security it brought stabilized me mentally as well. 

Buseoka was originally built during the Silla Dynasty and became an important Buddhist temple connected to the monk Uisang. Knowing it was built so long ago brings so much respect. The temple is so unique because of the history behind it. Buseoksa was founded in 676 CE and the same era when Silla was trying to unify Korea after constant conflict. Buddhism was just a religion, but it was a major and cultural force. It was a symbol of authority and unity. I could understand why Silla rulers supported Buddhism; it helped connect people under one shared belief and built tradition beyond culture. The name “Buseoksa” literally means “Floating Stone Temple” which comes from a legend that the temple was protected by a mysterious rock. It was just architecture. But it was history mixed with myth and what makes ancient history so interesting.  

The most important part of the temple is Muryangsujeon Hall, one of the oldest wooden buildings standing in Korea. Thinking about how many fires and wars Korea has gone through felt like experiencing history first hand. I chose Buseoka because it represents how religion, architecture and culture connects to Korean history and a symbol of faith.

References

• https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/whereToGo/locIntrdn/rgnContentsView.do?vcontsId=111132

  VisitKorea

• https://english.khs.go.kr/chaen/search/selectGeneralSearchDetail.do;jsessionid=SYzn1WmsKJIqP9LdFtcdF1VAcdW1dka10nZBVowNJJ11jV7cljuKtFUj1GaN96FD.cha-was02_servlet_engine4?mn=EN_02_02&sCcebKdcd=11&ccebAsno=0000190000000&sCcebCtcd=37&pageIndex=2&region=&canAsset=&ccebPcd1=&searchWrd=&startNum=&endNum=&stCcebAsdt=&enCcebAsdt=&canceled=&ccebKdcd=&ccebCtcd=

  Korea Heritage Service

• https://contents.history.go.kr/play/view.do?levelId=tz_b78

  National Institute of Korean History