Jeungsimsa Temple

Jeungsimsa temple is a representative temple in Mudeung Mountain of Gwangju.

Release time : 2016-10-10 10:50:31

source : WTCF

pass through the first gate built in 1980s. The place for these monuments had been located under the Chwibaengnu tower that was recently built, but it was recently relocated to its present location. There are stone stairs to the foot of the temple. It is said that Chwibaengnu tower was in this place originally. Chwibaengnu tower has now been relocated and placed a little to the right because it was burned down during the war. The first floor is an office for the temple, and the second floor is a multipurpose space where people can hold Buddhist ceremonies and meetings.

The metal engraving of Vairocana (a Buddha) sedentary statue was designated National Treasure No. 131. Most hands of the Vairocana have the index finger of the left hand covering the right hand but the Vairocana of the Jeungsimsa temple is unusually reversed. This Buddhist image arrests our eyes because it has a human expression like our human faces, not a dignified expression like other Buddhist images. The oldest one of the cultural assets in the Jeungsimsa temple is the Three-story Stone Tower. This tower was designated Tangible Cultural Properties No.1, and is a small tower of 3.4 meters height. The tower is presumed to have been built in the late Silla dynasty according to the shape of it. There is a Sansingak (a small building where a mountain god lives) that was built leaning on a rock wall between Obaekjeon and Birojeon, where the tale of Gim Bang and the ants has been passed down. There is a mountain god Buddha in this unusually shaped Sansingak. In addition, the letters “seoseoksansinjiwi” are engraved on a rock wall behind the Birojeon Hall. Seoseok Mountain means Mudeung Mountain, so the tablet of the Mudeung Mountain god is here. Originally, the tablet of the mountain god was just behind the Sansingak building but people don’t know since when the tablet of the mountain god has stood apart from the building.

Address: Ullim-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City 56

T