Unsusa Temple (Imsil)

About this place

Unsusa Temple is located on Godeoksan Mountain in North Jeolla Province and belongs to the Taego Order of Korean Buddhism. It was established in the latter half of the 18th century around a Baekje-era stone Buddha that already stood on the site; the temple was built to enshrine it. Originally called Unsuram (Cloud Water Hermitage), the name was taken from the nearby place name 'Unsu Valley.' Subsequent history is not recorded. The current head monk Beopjin later changed the name to Unsusa. The temple structures include a dharma hall, a Mireuk (Maitreya) hall, and living quarters. The stone Mireuk Buddha, judged by its sculpting technique to date from the Three Kingdoms period, stands about 2 m tall. A local legend tells that bandits who had been robbing wealthy homes in Imsil ran all night but kept circling the town and were eventually caught — attributed to the spiritual power of the stone Buddha.