Seoaksa (Yecheon)

About this place

Seoaksa, situated halfway up Bongdeoksan Mountain, is a branch temple of Jikjisa, the head temple of the 8th diocese of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. According to a ridge-beam inscription discovered in 1960 during the renovation of the monks' quarters (yosachae), it was a temple founded in 1701 (the 27th year of King Sukjong of Joseon), relocated in 1737 (the 13th year of King Yeongjo), with a record that the monks' quarters were built in 1761. The buildings include the Wontongjeon, two monks' quarters, and the Iljumun. The Buddha statue inside the Wontongjeon, the main hall, was made in recent times, while the six taenghwa (Buddhist paintings) are regarded as relics worthy of preservation; of the six, three were made in 1770 (the 45th year of King Yeongjo) and one in 1868 (the 5th year of King Gojong). The bronze bell inside the main hall was cast in March 1933; although not of great age, it is a valuable relic that faithfully follows the style of Joseon-period temple bells. On a rock at the temple entrance remains the inscription 'Yeonpa Dokyeoksan,' a place where Jang Hwa-sik (1853–1938), who served as Hanseong Panyun (mayor of Hanseong) in the late Joseon period, expounded the Book of Changes (Yeokgyeong).