Haeinsa

Introducing Haeinsa

This Unesco World Heritage temple (055-931 1001; admission W3500; 8am-11am, noon-5pm Wed-Mon) should be on every visitor’s not-to-be-missed list.

Haeinsa holds 81, 340 woodblock scriptures, making it one of the largest Buddhist libraries of its kind. Known as the Tripitaka Koreana , the blocks are housed in four enormous buildings at the temple’s upper reaches, complete with simple but effective ventilation to prevent deterioration. Also housed here are an additional 2835 blocks from the Goryeo period containing more Buddhist scriptures, literary works and an illustration of Avatamsaka Sutra. Although the buildings are normally locked, the blocks are easily visible through slatted windows.

As well as being one of Korea’s most significant temples, Haeinsa is also one of the most beautiful. Part of its beauty lies in the natural setting of mixed deciduous and coniferous forest. It’s a romantic’s paradise in wet weather, when wisps of cloud drift through the forest. At prayer times (3.30am, 10am and 6.30pm), the place can feel otherworldly (try listening with your eyes closed), and on our visit we were able to create our own print from an actual woodblock in the exhibition hall.

The main hall, Daegwangjeon, was burnt down during the Japanese invasion of 1592 and again (accidentally) in 1817, though miraculously the Tripitaka escaped destruction. It escaped a third time when a South Korean pilot working for the Allied forces refused to allow them to bomb it.

A Haeinsa museum (055-934 3150; admission W2000; 10am-6pm Mar-Oct, 10am-5pm Nov-Feb, closed Tue), built in 2002, showcases some of the temple’s treasures and has a reverie on Haeinsa in contemporary art upstairs. It is a short walk from the main road, and the temple is a further 15-minute walk. At the time of research the museum was closed for remodelling.

Hikers will want to challenge Gayasan (1430m), the main peak in the national park and a pretty one, though the 1100m up from Haeinsa are known to be tough. With luck you might spot an otter on a riverbank.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009