Gwangdeoksa Temple (Cheonan)

About this place

Gwangdeoksa is a thousand-year-old temple on the southeastern slope of Gwangdeoksan Mountain, founded by the Silla-period monk Jajang Yulsa. It was once the largest temple in the Gyeonggi-Chungcheong region, but suffered considerable damage through the Japanese invasions of 1592 and the Japanese colonial period. A three-story stone pagoda from the early Goryeo period remains on the grounds, along with a newly built bell tower employing a unique octagonal roof design, as well as the main Daeungjeon Hall and the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas. Also noteworthy is a 400-year-old walnut tree over 20 meters tall at the entrance to the main hall, designated as a natural monument—the oldest of its kind in Korea. Gwangdeoksa attracts many visitors year-round, and Cheonan is known as the original home of walnut-filled pastries (hodugwaja).