Bongboksa Temple (Hoengseong)

Bongboksa Temple is an ancient temple from the Three Kingdoms-Silla period located in Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon Province. It was founded by Master Jajang in 647 AD (the 16th year of Queen Seondeok of Silla) and belongs as a branch temple of Woljeongsa Temple. Bongboksa Temple has undergone repeated destruction and reconstruction due to fires and wars, and currently retains buildings such as Daeungjeon, Samseonggak, Guksadang, and Budojeon, as well as relics including a three-story stone pagoda and a nine-story stone pagoda. In particular, the nine-story stone pagoda enshrines the sarira of the Buddha brought from Myanmar, and its body is shaped like a flat plate, giving it an exotic appearance. Daeungjeon Hall of Bongboksa Temple was newly built in 2008 and enshrines Sakyamuni Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Among the relics, the Sindaeri Three-Story Stone Pagoda, said to have been erected by Master Jajang, is designated as a Gangwon-do Tangible Cultural Heritage, and it bears traces of bullet marks from the Korean War in several places. In front of the temple, Budojeon is located on a hill, and behind the temple stands Taegisan Mountain. Bongboksa Temple, a cultural heritage where Silla's history and nature harmonize, attracts many tourists during the autumn foliage season.