Gwaneumsa Temple (Muju)

About this place

Gwaneumsa Temple is a branch temple of Geumsansa, the head temple of the 17th district of the Korean Buddhist Jogye Order, situated at the foot of Baegun Mountain in Muju. The temple's name derives from 1958, when a monk named Ansim attached a plaque reading 'Gwaneumsa'. The current main hall, the Beopbojeon, is a hip-and-gable, double-eaved three-bay structure flanked by the Mokusil (Zen meditation hall) and yosachae. Inside the Beopbojeon is a wooden standing Avalokiteshvara (Gwaneum) statue from the late Joseon period, transferred in 1974 by monks Gwanjeong and Seonghorye from Boseoksa Temple in Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province. There are also old texts and a painting of the Divine Assembly (Sinjeungdo) and a Mountain Spirit painting (Sansindo) made in 1942. The wooden seated Gwaneum Bodhisattva (Gwaneum Bosal Jwasang) of Gwaneumsa Beopbojeon is classified as a Tangible Cultural Heritage and reflects the style of Buddhist sculpture from the late 17th to early 18th century, making it a precious resource for the study of late Joseon Buddhist sculpture.