Daegoam Temple (Sunchang)

About this place

Sunchang Daegoam Temple is a Buddhist temple located on the north side of Daemosan Mountain, the site of the Baekje-era Sunchang Daemosan Fortress. It was founded by Hakseong in 1933, was almost completely destroyed during the Korean War, had its dharma hall restored in 1973, and a bell pavilion was built in 1985. In 1993, the main hall was newly built. Daegoam consists of the main hall, bell pavilion, and two monks' quarters buildings. The main hall is a wooden structure with a hipped-and-gabled roof, 3 bays wide and 2 bays deep. Inside and outside are painted with dancheong (traditional multicolored decorative painting) and the exterior walls feature flower paintings and a 'simudo' (ten bulls paintings depicting the search for one's original nature). A seated wooden Buddha dating from the mid-17th century is enshrined in the main hall, moved to Daegoam at the end of the Japanese colonial period. Buddhist texts and other important scholarly Buddhist books were also discovered inside the statue.