- Address: 10 Chiin-ri, Gaya-myeon, Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea
- Phone: +82 55-934-3000
- Website: haeinsa.or.kr
- Year of foundation: 802
- Cost of visiting: $ 2
You can see the oldest temple of Haeins in South Korea in the mountains of Kayasan . This unique place, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is open to tourists. You can get everywhere, except for the room, where unique wooden tablets are kept - sacred Buddhist texts.
History of the Haeins Temple
More than 12 centuries separate us from the time when the very first Haeins temple was built by two Buddhist monks. Since then, its appearance has changed because of the numerous fires that fell to the share of the temple. The last reconstruction was carried out in the XIX century. after which the temple buildings have acquired the present form.
What is interesting about the Heinz temple complex?
The name of the temple is translated as "reflected in the water", as it is located on the shore of a mountain reservoir. Each construction of the complex has its own purpose, which has not changed for many centuries. Tourists are allowed to visit every corner of the Haein's temple, with the exception of the sacred repository of ancient Buddhists, where special wooden plates of the Tripitaka Koreana with the teachings of the Buddha are preserved. Tourists are allowed to look here through the ventilation slots.
The uniqueness of the temple is also in the fact that the halls are not dedicated to those saints that are usually glorified in Korean Buddhism. So, the Hall of Silence and Light is dedicated to the Buddha of Vairochana, not Sokkamoni, as is customary. The monastery at the temple symbolizes dharma (law and teachings of the Buddha).
Naturalistic lovers will like the way the temple organically fits into the surrounding mountain nature. The buildings are unusually beautiful, they are painted in bright colors and decorated with wood carvings. Monks carefully monitor the state of the temple. The entrance here begins with the picturesque road "The Path of Awakening", at the end of which the traveler gets through the gate of the Heavenly Guard to the temple square. Here is the Gugwanrou temple, and on the right is the bell tower.
Next, in the next square you can see the "Hall of the cosmic Buddha" or Dechzhlgvan, with ancient statues. On the right hand side there will be a repository with sacred inscriptions, some of them for more than 1000 years.
How to get to the sacred monastery of Haynes?
Getting to a unique temple is not so simple, but one who can handle any difficulties on his own will gladly overcome this path to a Buddhist shrine. The road here begins from the city of Daegu , at the foot of the mountains. From the bus terminal Seobu Bus Terminal, located near Seongdangmot metro station, excursion buses are sent daily. It is necessary that a group of at least 30 people gathered. Register for the upcoming trip can be through the site of the temple, however, please note that the information is in it in Korean, so that an interpreter service may be required. The journey takes 1.5 hours, after which it is necessary to walk to the mountains to the very gates of the monastery.