Yeonhwasa (Seoul)

Yeonhwasa is a direct branch temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, located at the foot of Cheonjangsan Mountain in Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Hoegi-dong, situated in the heart of eastern Seoul, was named after Hoereung, the tomb of Deposed Queen Yun, the mother of King Yeonsangun. On that site now stands a small temple built as her royal votive temple. The name Yeonhwasa means 'the fundamental nature of all beings is like a pure lotus blooming from mud,' and it was also called Myoryeon. Both names symbolize the purity of the lotus, likely given as a place for King Yeonsangun to pray for his mother's afterlife and to guide the spirits of those who died unjustly, reflecting the lotus's function of rebirth. Today, Hoereung has been relocated to Seosamneung, and Gyeonghui Girls' Middle and High Schools now occupy the former site, so the old appearance is lost, but a small temple below the site continues its legacy. Although it has transformed into an urban temple rather than a typical temple surrounded by dense forests, it still retains Buddhist paintings created by many court ladies as a royal votive temple for Deposed Queen Yun and Queen Seonui, preserving traces of its royal temple origins.

Address: 56, Gyeonghuidae-ro 3-gil, Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul