Sudasa Temple (Gumi)

About this place

Sudasa, located on Yeonaksan, is believed to have originated as a Goryeo-period temple of the Avatamsaka Sect (Hwaeomjong). The name was inspired by a white lotus flower seen blooming at the peak of Yeonaksan, so it was called Yeonhwasa. In 1185, the great monk Gakwon restored it and renamed it Seongnamsaand in 1572 Yujeong restored it again and renamed it Sudasa. When the Imjin War broke out in 1592, more than ten thousand monk-soldiers gathered here to hold a national prayer ceremony (uiguk beopje). In 1704, the temple was destroyed by fire and only the Daeungjeon, the Siwang-jeon, and the Geuknakdang survived. The surviving buildings include the Daeungjeon, the Myeongbujeon, the Sansingak, and residences. The Daeungjeon is a three-bay gabled (맞배) roof structure, and inside is a seated wooden Amitabha Buddha statue from 1185. The Sudasa Myeongbujeon was designated as North Gyeongsang Province Cultural Heritage No. 139 on December 18, 1979 and has been repaired twice in 1982 and 1992. Among the relics are the Yeongsan Hoesang-do (a painting of the Lotus Sermon, from the late Joseon period), a bronze bell made in 1772, and a three-story stone pagoda.