Mitasa Temple (Seongdong)

About this place

Mitasa Temple, located in Oksu-dong, is a direct-jurisdiction temple of Jogyesa under the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, situated below Dalmaji-bong Park. It is also known as Dumusgae Seungbang because it stands near the Dumusgae area. Founded in 888, the 2nd year of Silla Queen Jinseong, Mitasa was established near Geumho-dong through the devoted aspiration of the nun Daewon. In 1115, two nuns named Bongjeok moved it to its current location in Oksu-dong, built the Geuknakjeon hall, enshrined an Amitabha Buddha, and received the name Mitasa from a national monk. The Geuknakjeon and Gwaneumjeon halls were built through the donations of the deeply devout Dowager Jo. The three-honored Buddhas and six hanging paintings of the Geuknakjeon, the Cheonsu painting of Gwaneumjeon, and the seven-storied stone pagoda embody the traditional beauty of Buddhist art. As Mitasa accumulated history, many bhiksuni nuns gathered and each built a hermitage within its grounds; today there are seven hermitages: Daeseum-am, Chilseong-gak, Geumbo-am, Geumsu-am, Jongsu-am, Gwaneumam, and Yongun-am, making it a unique traditional temple in central Seoul. In 1988, a Cheonbul-jeon hall and a kindergarten were built, serving as a place of devotion for local residents and a childcare center.