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Borimsa

Korea (South) / Chollanam / Hwasun /
 buddhist temple  Add category

Borimsa is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in South Korea. The temple holds great significance as the first Zen Buddhist temple erected during Unified Silla (668–935). Borimsa, which means Precious Forest Temple, named after temples in both India and China, was first established in 759CE, expanded in 860. During the Korean war, 20 structures were burned down by commanders who suspected the temple was housing partisan rebels. After the war, the temple underwent multiple restorations and now holds several national treasures.


Legend of Borimsa:

Monk Wonpyo, while studying in Borim Temple in India and China, missed the climate of the Korean peninsula, and returned to Silla, looking for a place to construct a temple. While visiting the Gaji Mountain, in present Jangheung, a fairy appeared telling him that 9 dragons were wreaking havoc around the pond where she had been living. The monk tossed a charm into the pond, chasing out all the dragons, except for the white dragon.

The white dragon eventually left, losing his its tail in the nearby forest. That spot became Yongmunso, meaning the pond that was dug by a dragon's tail. Monk Wonpyo now claimed this spot for the founding of his temple. Local names include many elements related to Yong ("dragon") due to this legend.
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Coordinates:   34°48'28"N   126°53'51"E
This article was last modified 7 years ago