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| The 3-meter high, central, golden Buddha housed within YakCheonSa can be seen towering serenely over my friend beneath it. |
The name is said to come from a pond situated on the temple grounds which was thought, or possibly still is thought, to consist of medicinal waters. I've heard that some Buddhists still drink from it.
Though I've been to this temple sitting on Jeju's southern coast near Jungmoon numerous times, my latest visit was in late January (2011). Personally, it ranks among my favorites if only due to it's grandiosity.
As I understand it, Yakcheonsa is Jeju's largest temple; the languid slope of the roof reaches 28 meters in height, while the surrounding grounds occupy roughly 122,000 square meters--the second largest area in Jeju after Gwaneumsa, a temple which covers even more.
According to 'Discovering Korea', it was built sometime in the 1990's and styled after architecture common to Korea's Joseon dynasty.
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| The temple's entrance, seen from inside |
The two nuns at the entrance were welcoming and did not object to my friend and I photographing the place.
In the picture above, you can see the entrance, the 2nd floor, which has a prayer room adorned with pink lanterns hanging from the ceiling and mats laid on the ground, and the 3rd floor, where thousands of little Buddha figures can be seen meditating behind glass.
There is a fourth floor as well, but it is not accessible to the public.
Doing a 180 degree turn from the entrance, you can see the main alter, photographed on the right.
And turning 90 degrees to either side, there are dragons wrapped around pillars that extend all the way to the dark ceiling, four stories above.
On both the 2nd and 3rd floors, balconies overhang, offering a nice view of the main alter.
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| A pavilion outside, housing a large drum. |
From outside you can see the Yellow Sea and two large pavilions, one of which houses a large drum and the other a bell of bronze. Around the premises are several citrus and palm trees; around back is a small shrine tucked inside an artificial cave named Gulbupdang (굴법당), used by local Shamans. In Jeju, shamanism and Buddhism have co-existed and co-influenced each other over time.
The monks of YakCheonSa are styled in the Jogye order of Buddhism, a type specific to Korea and thought to be over 1000 years old. You can hear them chanting in their grey robes during the evening, around 6 or 7 pm.
Temple Stays:
Temple stays are offered every first and third weekend; a longer three-day traditional culture program is offered every forth Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The temple also offers a Temple Life program, which takes place over two hours and is great for those with busier schedules.
Yakcheonsa has someone who can communicate in English. Temple stays typically cost around 50,000 won. If you are interested in temple stay in Jeju, send e-mail to Yakchunsa. yakchunsa@hanmail.net
Getting There:
Taking the famous Olle trails as a landmark, the temple is seated at the starting point of Olle 7 and the end point of Olle 8. By car,vtaking road 1139 to Seogwipo, then left on 1132 will get you there. I also year that bus #600 from the main terminal of the airport goes to the temple.
It is open 24 hours and entrance is free.
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