Sangju Temple (Gunsan)

About this place

Sangju Temple is located on the eastern slopes of Chwijeongsan Mountain and is a branch temple of Geumsansa, the head temple of the 17th district of the Jogye Order. It is said to have been built in 606 (the 7th year of King Mu of Baekje) by the Silla monk Hyegong. However, since this region was Baekje territory at the time, the attribution is uncertain. In the 11th year of King Gongmin of Goryeo (1362), the monk Hyegeun renovated the temple and renamed it to its present form. Legend holds that King Gongmin visited the temple to pray for national peace, inspiring a name change: the character for 'dwell' (住, ju) was replaced with 'pillar' (柱, ju), meaning the temple would become a 'pillar of the nation.' At its peak during the late Goryeo period, the temple grounds included nine hermitages and housed about 200 monks. The main hall's canopy bears a carved dragon head; the original pair was reduced to one when the Japanese took one during the colonial period. The ridge is adorned with two blue tiles and eleven evenly spaced dragon head ornaments.