Hakdoam Hermitage (Seoul)

About this place

The symbol of Hakdoam Hermitage is the enormous rock-carved Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva on the cliff face behind the hermitage, standing 13.4 meters tall. According to tradition, this massive cliff carving was commissioned in 1870 (the 7th year of King Gojong's reign) through the vow of Queen Myeongseong (Empress Myeongseong). The compassionate smile of the bodhisattva gazes over all sentient beings, making it a famous landmark not only of Hakdoam but of all Nowon-gu. While rock-carved Buddhas (maaebol) are found throughout Korea, cliff carvings of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva are comparatively rare. Among them, the one at Hakdoam stands as the largest and most clearly preserved, and is therefore regarded as an important cultural heritage. Hakdoam hermitage offers visitors both magnificent natural scenery worthy of a crane's playground and the spiritual atmosphere of Korea's largest cliff-carved Avalokitesvara.