Photo Gallery

Buinsa Temple - 부인사 (夫人寺) (founded 7th century, mostly reconstructions)

Buinsa is an important temple on Palgongsan mountain. Reportedly established in the 7th century in the pre-unification era, it was built to pray for the welfare of Queen Seondeok, ruler of old Silla. During the Goryeo Era (935-1392) it served as a base of operations for Buddhist monks opposed to the Choe military regime. Later, the temple housed the first woodblock copy of the Tripitaka Koreana, the complete works of Korean Buddhism, but both the temple and the woodblocks were destroyed in 1238 during the first Mongol invasion. The government-in-exile carved another copy on Ganghwa island, which still survives, and transferred them to nearby Haeinsa temple (see website). Other than the stone lamp shown in image two, none of the structures at Buinsa are ancient. There are a few remaining culverts, drainage routes, embankments, and flagpole support pillars from the original temple. The buildings in the photos are recently constructed and in a few cases, still under construction. Despite being new, Buinsa is built in a traditional style and well worth a visit.

Location

Location: 35.995391' N, 128.673146' E (WGS 84 map datum). Address: 대구 동구 신무동 356