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Start
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Heotjesabab
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Bongjeongsa
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Byeongsan Seowon
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Buseoksa
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Yongsomak Catholic Church
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Finish
Bongjeongsa Temple 봉정사
After I took a rest from a long drive, I went out to see Bongjeongsa in the late afternoon. Bongjeongsa is famous for Geungnakjeon(Paradise Shine), the oldest wooden building in Korea. It seems like Daeungjeon Hall (main temple) will take the Oldest Wooden Building title beating Geungnakjeon soon according to the book made of wood which was found during the construction for roof repair in 2000.
Bongjeongsa is a small temple located in Mount Cheondeung but I can say that it is a tourist attraction that gives me an echo deep inside with natural feeling and its beauty of structures once I entered the temple.
I still remember the time I saw Queen Elizabeth in Hahoe folk village in Andong and Bongjeongsa on her first visit to Korea.
In order to get to Daeungjeon Hall of Bongjeongsa, you have to cross the lower part of Manseru like this which would make you feel like you are getting into a different world from this world.
As I come up the stairs leading to Daeungjeon Hall, I face the new world in front of me little by little.
On the roof of the next building of Manseru, which is located in front of quiet Daeungjeon Hall, I found a small bird sitting for a while with an insect in her mouth for baby birds. It's not unusual that in peaceful places, birds are not afraid of people and hovering around them and this was not an exception.
It is always a good experience to see temple before Buddha's Birthday, and the delicate shapes and colors of paper lanterns hanging here look more entrancing. Every leaf of paper lotus looks so real.
Bongjeongsa Geungnakjeon (Paradise Shine), as the oldest wooden building in Korea and National Treasure No. 15, was built in the 1200s.
Lotus lanterns in front of Geungnakjeon are colored white for the dead.
This is inside the Daeungjeon. Paper lotus flowers are hanging in order by both sides of the statue of the Buddha, and there are pictures of the dead on the left side.
This statue of Buddha was owned by another monk from other temple and brought here since the flooding due to Andong Dam. The base of the Buddha statue was damaged and the face of the statue was partially stained in the process of plating the statue with gilt bronze by the original owner so I felt sorry that it did not look harmonized with marble since it feels too artificial.
Mismatch between simple fences in front of Geungnakjeon and colorful lotus lanterns looks splendid.
This is the view of Manseru looking from Daeungjeon front yard. Glamorous lotus lanterns make the scenery bright combined with simple beauty of Manseru.
The best part is that I get to watch Manseru on the front stairs of Daeungjeon and it makes me see the real beauty of Korean ancient architectures which is natural and simple.
It's beautiful that people are trying to capture the moment of watching beautiful lotus lanterns. They must be looking for lotus lanterns that they wrote their hopes down.
One feature of Korean buildings is that they allow us to see nature like we frame the scenery. Our ancestors' sense of beauty is notable that they tried to harmonize with nature.
The yellow tulips are in luscious full blossom in the front yard of Daeungjeon.
There are red lotus lanterns along both sides where the eaves of Daeungjeon and those of its right building are met.
When I go to temples, I try to look at the roof because colorful flowers mostly look amazing in photos with dark greyed roofs. On the roof of Manseru, small plants with blue leaves were amazingly growing.
The way out of Bongjeongsa at sunset had its mysterious beauty that you can feel only when you walk, not in a car.
Address: 901, Taejang-ri, Seohu-myeon, Unheung-dong, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea (경상북도 안동시 서후면 태장리 901)
