Boseoksa Temple (Geumsan)

About this place

Boseoksa Temple is a temple located on the southeastern slopes of Jinaksan Mountain in Geumsan. It is an ancient and venerable temple founded in 866 (the 12th year of King Heongang of Silla) by Master Jogu, and its name comes from the fact that gold was mined from the rocks on the mountain in front of the temple and used to cast Buddhist statues, giving it the name Boseoksa ('Precious Stone Temple'). Entering the temple precinct, the lush forest, rocks, and a clear stream create an atmosphere of having left the secular world. Inside the grounds are buildings including the Daeungjeon (main hall), Giheo-dang, Uiseon-gak, and Sansingak, along with subsidiary hermitages. Uiseon-gak is the place where National Monk Yeongyu, who raised righteous troops during the Imjin War, practiced asceticism, and a stele honoring the righteous monk general is also present. Boseoksa and the stele were designated as Chungcheongnam-do cultural heritage data in 1984. Within the temple precincts stands a natural monument ginkgo tree over 1,100 years old, 40 m tall and 10.4 m in girth, providing an excellent resting spot, and a roughly 300-meter trail of fir trees provides a pleasant solitary walk. Access to Boseoksa is via National Road 13 and Boseoksa-ro; the nearby highway is the Tongyeong-Daejeon Expressway Geumsan IC. Nearby attractions include Seokdongi Reservoir and Jinaksan Cave.