Chogyesan Provincial Park
-featuring -
The magnificent Songgwangsa Temple
Page intitiated: 2021-10-29
Page updated: 2021-10-30
The Chogyesan Provincial Park is not really very stunning when it comes to scenery, although it certainly is pleasant enough to hike over the Changgunbong mountain.
Still this park score very high points, - not because of Mother Nature -, but because of the great and very beautiful Chogyesa temple, which is situated right here on the slopes of Changgunbong mountain.
Chogyesa is famous for being the third of Korea's three most important temples, - the three "Jewel Temples"-, of which the first one is Tongdosa and the second is Haeinsa.
The "Three Jewels" in Buddhism is represented by: 1) Buddha,- the enlightened mind, 2) The Dharma,- the teaching that leads to enlightenment,- and 3) the Sangha,- the Buddhist community,- the teachers and followers.
Of these three jewels, Songgwangsa represents the third,- the Sangha-, because this temple has over the centuries schooled and created an unusual high number of very famous and highly gifted Zen Masters.
Due to the importance and beauty of this temple,- these pages will mostly focus on the temple itself, and not so much on the scenery around it.
1997-20-079 - Songgwangsa - The main entrance to the Songgwangsa temple. Actually it is a bridge crossing a small river. (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-20-084 - Songgwangsa - and here the drum tower - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-20-087 - Songgwangsa - The great main hall. (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-20-094 - Songgwangsa - A meditating monk - - maybe a future Master??? - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-001 - Songgwangsa - To the greater glory - - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-006 - Songgwangsa - Chanting monks - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-012 - Songgwangsa - Here a closer look at some great "Dan Chung" painting and Buddhist pictures - - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-013 - Songgwangsa - The paint work and wall pictures on this temple are fantastic - - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-020 - Songgwangsa - Architecture in perfect harmony - - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-021 - Songgwangsa - A view over the temple complex - - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-025 - Songgwangsa - Temple roofs everywhere - - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-049 - One of the mountain trails up Changgunbong - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-050 - A pleasant footpath leads you past small streams and boulders in the wonderful forest - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-051 - On the ridge - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-052 - View from the top - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21.053 - Chogyesa - view from the ridge - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-054 - Chogyesa - view from the ridge - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-057 - - and a view down to the rice paddies in a beautiful valley below - - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-059 - Chogyesa - view from the ridge - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-062 - Songgwangsa - back again - temple roofs - (Photography by Karsten petersen)
1997-21-064 - Songgwangsa - (Photograohy by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-068 - Songgwangsa - approaching one of the three "Juwel Temples" in Korea - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-072 - Chogyesan - dusk over Chogyesan Provincial Park, - and roofs of traditional Korean farm houses - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)
1997-21-081 - My favourite - the daughter of the owner of the restaurant where I used to eat - - time to sleep after a long days activities - (Photography by Karsten Petersen)