Suncheon Temple

madeleine whitfield
Nov 1 · 5 min read

October 28–31, 2019 trip

The next day, October 30, I decided not to do another tour but to strike out on my own on public transportation. I should add that the tours are very reasonably priced indeed — only the equivalent of $8 for the whole day of being driven here and there, and no tipping, as always. Remember not to tip when you’re in Korea!

So this was the day I aggravated my back, which doesn’t take much prompting to act up, it must be said. It was already in a bad way from yesterday. Anyway, I set off for the bus stop and got on the right bus going the wrong way. It wasn’t completely my fault. The bus had “Seonamsa” written on the front in English as it pulled up to the stop. (Even in Suncheon, buses have Korean and English alternating on the front destination display). When we pulled in to the bus depot at the end of the line, the bus driver gestured me off the bus. I got up with my map to try to ask him where we were and if we had arrived at the destination — Seonamsa, but he became impatient and angry. This was the first time ever that a Korean had acted this way, so I took it as a very positive sign. If in a cumulative visit of 9 months I’d only met one angry Korean, I was doing well!

I got off the bus and started walking back. I had to walk a long way to another bus stop but then was able to get another bus back to the central station. Finally, the first bus, the one with the truculent driver, arrived and we were on our way. The bus had to leave the city and climb into the mountain where the temple of my destination was perched. On the way we had to drive around a steep winding road where the bus driver took out his pique by driving like a rally driver. Fortunately the woman sharing a seat with me didn’t mind us constantly swinging into each other!

It was worth the drive though because Seonamsa is a seriously beautiful old temple that was originally built in 300 and something AD. I started walking up the stony road to the temple and came upon the old stone bridge built by a monk hundreds of years ago and still standing! According to legend, anyone who walks across this bridge changes into an immortal enlightened being halfway across. I crossed it twice for good measure!

The bridge of the immortals

The next thing I saw was a rock carving. I don’t know what it says, but it’s in Chinese, so the carving must predate King Sejong (invented Korean writing) in the 16 century.

Rock carvings at Seonamsa

This temple is a UNESCO world heritage site and is now protected and being refurbished where needed. A lot of the old painting work has weathered away, so artisans will redo that. Here is something surprising — a swastika!

Swastika signs on the temple

Until I came to Korea last year, I didn’t know that the swastika was a symbol of of Buddha’s footsteps in Buddhism. It also has been used by other cultures and other religions as a positive symbol for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The Nazis adopted it because they thought that it connected them to an ancient Indo-European race they were descended from — a notion now completely disproved. Anyway, it’s a shock to see it everywhere on Buddhist temples. The Nazis kind of spoiled it for everyone. I think the Nazi swastika and the religious symbols are actually rotating in opposite directions.

The temple bell

There is always a big bell in every temple. It’s rung twice a day for a prescribed number of times. When I did the temple stay at Baekyangsa, all of us got to give the bell three resounding gongs with a wooden pole attached to a rope. This bell is suspended so it’s definitely rung.

A gorgeous view from the meditation hall of the temple

I went into the meditation hall and sat all alone for a few minutes surrounded by silence and lovely fragrances. It’s an enchanting place and certainly is worth its UNCESCO heritage site title. It’s so old that I think the Romans were still in England when it was first started. Of course, it was burnt, plundered, and destroyed many times because Korea is a country of countless invasions — some writers put it at 600 times — but there has always been a temple on this site since day 1.

A monk explaining age of the tree to visitors

In a way I was sorry that I was not on a tour because there is lots of really interesting information about Seonamsa that I couldn’t know by just walking around. There are very few signs explaining the places, and even fewer in English. There are ancient trees here, some are 600 years old, and no doubt the monk is explaining what is special about this particular tree.

A private garden in monks or staff quarters

From this temple, there is a mountain pathway to another famous temple. It’s about 4 miles away to the west. Then there are trails going to various beauty spots and one going right to the top of the mountain.

There is something about this country that makes me want to take on challenges like that, but on this day my back was really kicking up a fuss, so I restrained myself.

The next day, the day to go home, would find me almost immobile. I had to actually shuffle to the train station carrying my stuff and was in such pain that the lovely girl in the Tourist Information centre gave me some Ibuprofen! That helped me get back to Seoul. She was also such an angel that she took me up a lift to put my stuff in a locker until train time and helped me with the Korean instructions etc. etc. Above and beyond. Nobody should be afraid of travelling alone in Korea and not knowing the language. The country is full of angels!

Interested in history and all things Korean, I am enjoying my retirement following my dreams and desires. My dream — to return to South Korea is now a reality.

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