Gwaneungsa Temple (Gimje)
1354-42 Seonbi-ro, Geumgu-myeon, Gimje-si, Jeollabuk-do
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Gwaneungsa Temple is a temple of the Korean Buddhist Gwaneum Order, located near Geumcheon Lake on the road from Gimje to Jeonju. The temple site, colloquially known as 'Gaksi Valley,' carries a long-standing legend: a young bride once wandered deep into the mountains, and villagers who found it strange followed her only to see her disappear at the current temple site, prompting them to build a temple there. It is said that praying to the Gwaneum Bodhisattva here will grant one's wishes. The temple is said to have been founded as a small hermitage in 1936, though the founder is unknown. Around 1985, Jinseong Jeong Gongjin became the abbot and renovated the temple by enshrining the Main Hall (Daeungjeon), monks' quarters, the Hall of the Three Saints, and a Maitreya Buddha statue.