Cheongnyongsa Temple (Gimje)

About this place

Cheongnyongsa stands on the road from Geumsansa Temple to Simwonam Hermitage; its founding date is unclear and it is presumed to have been a subordinate hermitage of Geumsansa. In 1079, when Venerable Hyedeokwangsa became head of Geumsansa and rebuilt it, he is said to have established about 40 hermitages in the Maaksan mountain range, including Yongjangsa, the predecessor of Cheongnyongsa. After monk Yongbong became head of Geumsansa in 1954 and restored Yongjangsa, the temple's name was changed to Cheongnyongsa. The current buildings date from 1974. The wooden seated Guanyin Bodhisattva statue enshrined in the Gwaneum Hall — the Gimje Cheongnyongsa Wooden Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva — was carved from wood by monk Cheonseung in 1655 to pray for the health and longevity of the king, queen, and crown prince. Originally at Bongsesa Temple in Yongjin-myeon, Wanju-gun, it was moved here to escape a fire in the 1950s. The carving technique of this wooden seated Guanyin is both simple and refined, and despite being a small statue, the expression of the face and fingers is very delicate, making it a preservation of great value; its serene and benign face represents the characteristics of late Joseon Buddhist statues well.