Around Magoksa Temple

Magoksa Temple

Gongju Magoksa Temple was founded by Jajang in 640 CE, the 9th year of Queen Seondeok's reign during the Silla Dynasty. The name Magoksa is said to have originated when the disciples gathered during the sermons of Silla's Buddhist monk Bocheol were likened to hemp stalks in a hemp field. At the time of its founding, it was a large temple with over 30 bays, but currently, structures such as Daeungjeon Hall, Daegwangbojeon Hall, Yeongsanjeon Hall, Sacheonwangmun Gate (Gate of Four Heavenly Kings), and Haetalmun Gate (Gate of Deliverance) remain. Additionally, it houses a Five-story Stone Pagoda, a Buddhist hanging scroll (Gwaebul), wooden plaques, a palanquin ridden by King Sejo of Joseon, a bronze incense burner, and ancient books. Several handwritten Buddhist scriptures copied with gold and silver ink, representing the Buddhist culture of the late Goryeo Dynasty, are also preserved. The area around Magoksa is known as one of the 'Sipseungjiji' (Ten Auspicious Places) during the Joseon Dynasty, special regions where one could escape danger during wartime. According to 『Taengniji』 by Yi Jung-hwan, Magoksa Temple avoided the ravages of the Imjin War and survived the Korean War without being damaged by fire. Recognizing this value, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the 'Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea', and several cultural properties within the temple have been designated as Tangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Heritage Materials of Chungcheongnam-do Province.