Korea is a country with a very developed Buddhist culture, and there are various Buddhist temples in each city. Each city will have its famous Buddhist temples, but among the Buddhist temples in Daegu, Donghwasa Temple on Mt. Palgongsan cannot fail to be mentioned. Located amidst the beautiful scenery of Mt. Palgong, this temple is very popular as visitors can enjoy the natural beauty while visiting the temple.
To deeply understand Korean culture, an understanding of Buddhist culture is essential. So, I think that visiting various Buddhist temples in Korea can enhance this understanding. This time, we would like to introduce to you the most popular Donhwasa Temple in Daegu. If you are planning to visit Daegu, I highly recommend checking it out.
Introduction to Donghwasa
Palgongsan Donghwasa Temple is a large temple representing Daegu and is a historic site founded during the Three Kingdoms period. Each peak of Palgongsan Mountain is filled with the smile and sound of Buddha, and it is said to be a spiritual mountain for a young people with the Hwarang spirit of old Silla and the spirit of unification.
The name of Donghwasa Temple means a temple with beautiful paulownia flowers, and is said to have originated from the paulownia tree that grew from the walking stick that Jossa Sim Ji threw. Donghwasa Temple was one of the three major temples of the Beopsang Order along with Geumsansa Temple and Beopjusa Temple, and with State Preceptor Hongjin and State Preceptor Jajeong residing there, it became the central temple of the Beopsang Order.
Many cultural heritages remain in Donghwasa Temple. Daegu Donghwasa Temple Daeungjeon is Treasure No. 1563, built during the Joseon Dynasty, and enshrines Sakyamuni Tathagata, Amitabha Tathagata, and Pharmacist Tathagata. Biroam has a three-story stone pagoda and a stone Vairocana Buddha built during the Unified Silla period, and Geumdangam also has a three-story stone pagoda. In addition, the huge Unification Yaksha Buddha, built in 1992, with a height of 33 meters, is the world's largest stone Yaksha Tathagata Buddha and is a landmark praying for national well-being and national unification.
Source: Places to visit in Daegu: Palgongsan Donghwasa Temple, free admission: Naver blog (naver.com)
Donghwasa Temple boasts beautiful scenery with paulownia trees and cherry blossoms in spring and maple leaves in fall. To get to Donghwasa Temple, take express bus No. 1 from Dongdaegu Station and get off at Donghwasa District. Admission to Dongwha Temple is free, and parking is 2,000 won for small cars and 5,000 won for large cars or buses.
Donghwasa Temple is a must-see when traveling to Daegu, and is a place where you can enjoy both Buddhist culture and the beauty of nature.
Things to see
At Donghwasa Temple, you can see various Buddhist cultural heritage and natural scenery. For example:
Daeungjeon, Treasure No. 1563: This is a building from the Joseon Dynasty that enshrines Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Medicine Buddha.
Biroam: This is the place where the three-story stone pagoda and stone Vairocana Buddha were built during the Unified Silla Dynasty.
Geumdangam: This is a place where there is a three-story stone pagoda. The name of Geumdangam means a place to read the Diamond Sutra.
Unification Pharmacist Buddha: At 33m in height, it is the world's largest stone Yaksha Tathagata Buddha and is a landmark praying for national well-being and national unification.
Paulownia trees, cherry blossoms, and autumn leaves: Paulownia trees and cherry blossoms are in full bloom in spring, and autumn leaves change color in fall, creating a beautiful scenery.
In addition to this, there are many things to see at Donghwasa Temple. When you visit Donghwasa Temple, you can enjoy both Buddhist culture and the beauty of nature.
