29 May 2010, Posted by Matt in Art & Culture, Buddhist Temples, Festivals & Holidays, Seoul, 3 Comments

Seoul’s Lotus Lantern Festival

The Lotus Lantern Festival began centuries ago. Today, the tradition of making and hanging lanterns as symbolic offerings of light and compassion in a world too often filled with darkness and suffering continues.

03 Feb 2010, Posted by Matt in Historic Korea, Jeolla, 6 Comments

Nagan Fortress Folk Village

War, colonization and rapid industrialization have decimated Korea’s architectural heritage, and yet an astonishing amount of it still remains, especially outside the big cities. And thankfully, local and federal governments are making increasing efforts to preserve what’s left of old Korea, especially the numerous “folk villages” that dot the countryside. Among my favorites is Nagan Folk Village (낙안읍성민속마을), located in South Jeolla Province.

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11 Jun 2009, Posted by Matt in Buddhist Temples, Festivals & Holidays, Seoul, UNESCO Sites, Video, 0 Comments

Bongwonsa Temple

In 889, Bongwonsa Temple was founded by the great master Doseon. The west Seoul temple is famous for its Yeongsanjae ceremony, an elaborate and beautiful performance that was recognized by UNESCO in 2009.

14 May 2009, Posted by Matt in Buddhist Temples, Food & Drink, Gangwon, Nature, 8 Comments

Gangwon Province Road Trip: At the Beach

Last year, my friends Do-hoon and KBS World’s Abby Rhodes took three days to explore Korea’s Donghae, or East Sea. During our three-day exploration of Gangwon Province, , on day 1 we explored the mountains, and on day 2 we explored the sea.

Of course, Korea’s east coast is the first place to see the sun rise here, and many Koreans visit it to make a wish on special days like the lunar New Year. Although our special wish for no rain was already granted, we awoke at 4 am anyhow to see the sun rise at Naksansa Temple (낙산사).

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06 Mar 2009, Posted by Matt in Buddhist Temples, Jeju, 3 Comments

Jeju Feature Part 4: Yakcheonsa Temple

Jeju’s Yakcheon Temple impresses with its size and colorful beauty.

There’s undoubtedly something special about centuries-old temples. But despite its youth (built in the 1990s), Yakcheon Temple, or Yakcheonsa (약천사), on Jeju’s southern coast, is also worthy of a visit. It was built in the style of Joseon Dynasty-era structures and named after a medicinal stream it was supposedly built over.

Covering an area of 122,100 square meters, Yakcheonsa is Jeju’s second largest temple complex, although the four-story (28 meters high) main prayer hall claims to be Asia’s largest. Standing beside it, the boast seems likely. The hall is truly massive. In fact, each level appears to bend slightly under the temple’s sheer weight.

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03 Dec 2008, Posted by Matt in Best of DK.com, Festivals & Holidays, Food & Drink, Hotels & Resorts, Jeolla, Nature, 13 Comments

Boseong’s Green Tea Fields

Tea was first cultivated in China over 2,500 years ago, but shortly thereafter it was introduced to Korea. Boseong is viewed by many as Korea’s tea growing capital.

17 Oct 2008, Posted by Matt in Buddhist Temples, Historic Korea, Jeolla, Nature, 7 Comments

Gimje’s Gold Mountain Temple

Geumsansa Temple’s (금산사) main courtyard features the impressive 3-story high Maitreya Hall, Goryeo-era stone sculptures, and gorgeous trees.

Until a couple of weeks ago, I had never visited North Jeolla Province. So when a friend of mine invited me to come along with her on a weekend trip, I jumped at the chance. North Jeolla-do has long been Korea’s rice bowl, and its terraced rice paddies and natural areas are famed for their beauty. During my travels there, one of my favorite places was Geumsansa, or Gold Mountain Temple, which is located between the cities of Jeonju and Gimje (김제).

Geumsansa Temple is located on the slopes of Moak Mountain. Founded over 14 centuries years ago during the first year of King Beop (법왕) of the Baekje Kingdom, the temple is best known for its Maitreya Hall, which houses the massive Mireuksa Buddha, and is Korea’s only remaining 3-story pre-modern building. The gorgeous structure features dozens of colorful paintings. And each corner of its three roofs requires a supporting column, due to the weight of the ornate eaves.

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