Baengnyeonsa, also written Baekryeonsa, is a Buddhist temple located in Doam-myeon, Gangjin county, Jeollanam-do.
Its name means "White Lotus" temple, and its physical form dates to the late Goryeo dynasty. Some records date the idea of a White Lotus temple to the 9th century A.D. It was rebuilt in 1965, and was designated a Local Tangible Cultural Property in 1986. The scholar Dasan lived nearby during his exile in the early-19th century, and some have suggested that Baengnyeonsa influenced his writings on Korean Buddhism. The temple was also known as Mandeoksa, taking its name after Mandeoksan mountain, which rises behind the temple and Dasan Chodang.
[edit] Visiting
Buses leave in the direction of Baengnyeonsa from Gangjin Bus Terminal regularly. However, bus drivers frequently drop passengers off at the Baekryeonsa road sign, in which case you would walk roughly 1.5 km to the temple. At the temple entrance is a small Korean restaurant, and in the temple proper is a small tea house.
If facing the temple, there is a trail to the right which goes to Gitdaebong, the highest point of Mandeoksan. To the left, at the end of the temple's structures, is a path that goes past the camellia forest and which leads, after a ten minute hike, to Dasan Chodang. Half-way between the temple and Dasan Chodang is a sign pointing to Gitdaebong, although this trail is significantly more difficult than that which starts from the temple, as the former first makes its way up a steep, neighboring peak. There are sporadic maps that point out other neighboring sites and temples.
[edit] Nearby Attractions
[edit] External links
|
