Silleuksa (Yeoju)

Silleuksa Temple is Yeoju's representative temple, located at the foot of Bongmisan Mountain. It boasts a long history, a grand scale, and outstanding scenery. It is a branch temple of Yongjusa Temple, the head temple of the 2nd district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and has been designated a traditional temple of Gyeonggi Province. While temples are generally built in the mountains, Silleuksa was unusually erected on the riverside, overlooking the Namhangang River. It is said that Great Monk Wonhyo founded it during the reign of King Jinpyeong of Silla, but there is no definitive evidence. It is famous as the place where Zen Master Naong resided during the late Goryeo Dynasty, and is said to have been a grand temple comprising over 200 *kan*. In the 3rd year of King Seongjong's reign in Joseon (1472), it was designated as a royal ancestral temple (Wonchal) for Yeongneung, King Sejong the Great's tomb, and was called Boeunsa Temple (報恩寺). However, after its significance as a Wonchal diminished, it returned to its original name, Silleuksa Temple. Due to its multi-storied brick pagoda (*jeontap*), it was also known as Byeokjeol (Brick Temple).