Deungmyeong Naksansa Temple (Gangneung)

Located on the mid-slope of Mount Goebang, 12 km southeast of Gangneung City Hall, Deungmyeong Naksansa Temple was first founded as Sudasa Temple by Master Jajang during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla. In the Goryeo period, Deungmyeongsa Temple was rebuilt and became a temple where many monks cultivated and practiced asceticism. It is said that in the early Joseon Dynasty, due to the policy of promoting Confucianism and suppressing Buddhism, Deungmyeongsa Temple, located in Jeongdong, Hanyang, was abolished by a petition from Confucian scholars. They believed that if the light of Deungmyeong in Jeongdong was extinguished, Buddhism would perish. There is a legend that when the king developed an eye disease, a fortune teller said that the water used to wash rice at a large temple in Jeongdong flowed into the East Sea, angering the Dragon King and causing the eye disease, so the king ordered the temple to be closed. However, this is merely a scheme and speculation to eliminate Deungmyeongsa Temple.

In 1957, a hermitage was built under the name Naksansa, and in 1980, reconstruction began, leading to the name Deungmyeong Naksansa Temple. A five-story stone pagoda stands on a lotus-patterned base and has been preserved to this day. There is also a legend that a underwater sarira stupa is enshrined in the sea, and a mysterious medicinal spring is said to be highly effective for various ailments. The blue of the East Sea seen from the temple blends with the sky, creating a beautiful scenery.