Golgulsa (Gyeongju)

Golgulsa is a temple located on Hamwolsan Mountain in Gyeongju, serving as the headquarters of Seonmudo (Zen Martial Arts) and earning the nickname 'Korea's Shaolin Temple.' Approximately 1,500 years ago, a group of ascetics led by Gwangyu Seonin from India settled on Hamwolsan Mountain in Gyeongju and founded Golgulsa and Girimsa. Golgulsa is the oldest cave temple in Korea, built in the form of a cave temple modeled after India by Gwangyu and his followers. At Golgul Hermitage on the slopes of Hamwolsan Mountain, there are 12 caves carved into a massive tuff rock tens of meters high, with a rock-carved Buddha statue in high relief at the highest point of the cliff. The main hall cave has a wall and tiled roof at the front, making it appear as a building, but inside, both the ceiling and walls are made of stone. A niche is carved into the northern wall to enshrine a Buddha, but due to severe erosion, the facial expression is unrecognizable. The main hall cave and other caves vary in size, from those barely large enough for one person to those spacious enough for three or four people, housing various Buddha statues ranging from cute young monks to dignified elder monks. The paths connecting the caves are steep stairs carved into the rock, and to reach the rock-carved Buddha at the summit, one must pass through a natural cave. In the painting 'Golgeul Seokguldo' by the Joseon Dynasty artist Gyeomjae Jeong Seon, the rock-carved Buddha and the 12 caves are all depicted as wooden-tiled structures, but currently, all front chambers have been lost, leaving only the rock caves. The rock-carved Buddha statue at the top of the cliff, measuring about 4 meters in height and 2.2 meters in width, is designated as a treasure. Carved into granite mixed with a lot of sand, its preservation is poor, and it has been severely damaged by long-term weathering, so a glass roof has been installed over it. Golgulsa operates a Seonmudo training center, a traditional Buddhist practice, and offers temple stays. It runs a one-day temple stay program consisting of Seonmudo and temple experience activities, an experiential temple stay with Hamwolsan trekking and meditation, a long-term rest temple stay, and a youth character education program called the Seonmudo Youth Hwarang Training Camp, which attracts many foreign participants. Additionally, as part of social contribution and cultural welfare, it has established a performance troupe (Sacheonwang) that holds regular performances within the Golgulsa grounds.