Seonguksa Temple (Namwon)

About this place

Seongguksa Temple is a branch temple of Geumsansa, the head temple of the 17th District of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and is located within Gyoryong Sanseong Fortress. Because it lies inside the fortress, it is also called Sanseongjeol (Fortress Temple). It was founded around the same time that the secondary capital of Namwon was established in 685 (the 5th year of King Sinmun's reign), and because there was a spring here called Yongcheon, it was named Yongcheonsa. It is presumed that after Gyoryong Sanseong Fortress was built around the temple, the character of the temple changed into a temple for guarding the nation, and its name also changed to Seongguksa. The exact time when the name was changed to Seongguksa is unclear, but just as most temples with the character 'guk (國, nation)' in their names have played major roles for the country, Seongguksa is likewise a place that holds a history of hardship in defending the nation. When the country fell into crisis, the military provisions collected from six counties in the Honam region were stored right here in Gyoryong Sanseong Fortress, and at that time Seongguksa served as the headquarters of the garrison guarding the fortress. When the Donghak Peasant Movement broke out in 1894, it also became a hiding place for the Donghak army. Among the surviving buildings are the Daeungjeon Hall, Chilseonggak Shrine, Bojeru Pavilion, Gwaneumjeon Hall, and monks' quarters. Of these, the Daeungjeon Hall is a building measuring 3 kan across the front and 2 kan on the side, and has been designated a Tangible Cultural Property of Jeollabuk-do. Inside are enshrined the Amitabha Triad and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, along with several Buddhist paintings, a large drum, a medium-sized bell, and two signboards.