Cheongryangsa

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Cheongryangsa, or Cheongryang Temple, is located in Mount Cheongnyangsan Provincial Park in the valley between Yeonhwabong and Geumtapbong (peaks).

Cheongnyangsa was built by the great monk Wonhyo in 663. According to the principles of feng shui, the area is an ideal place for a temple – with the 12 mountain peaks surrounding the temple like the petals of a lotus flower.

The temple is home to two precious historical relics; one is the signboard of Yuribojeon that King Gongmin of Goryeo wrote upon and the other is Jibul. Yuribojeon is the building where Yaksa-yorae-bul (the Medicine Buddha Statute) is housed and Jibul is a Buddha statute made of paper surfaced with gold.

In back of the temple is Bosalbong (peak) looking out towards Cheongnyangsan (mountain. A 30-minute walk along the hiking trail will lead you to Eungjinjeon, a hermitage with a beautiful view where the great monk Wonhyo once stayed. Behind Eungjinjeon stands Geumtapbong (peak) and the sheer cliffs below. The peak was named Geumtapbong (meaning ‘golden pagoda’ in Korean) since it looks like a nine-story pagoda with pine trees growing around the base.

There are 33 large or small heritages around Yeondaesa so this area is said to have been a cradle of Silla Buddhism.

Cheongryangsa is Gyeongsangbuk-do Cultural property Material #244