Yongdamsa Temple (Namwon)

About this place

Located about 3 km east of Namwon, the temple was founded during the reign of King Seong, the 26th king of Baekje. According to legend, before the temple was built, a serpent-dragon (imugi) unable to become a true dragon lived in the deep pool nearby, causing harm to crops and people; it disappeared after the temple was established and named Yongdamsa (Dragon Pool Temple). The stone standing Buddha at the Yongdamsa site is rated one of the finest examples of the giant Buddha style of the early Goryeo period. The slender seven-story stone pagoda, reaching 10 m in height, is considered a relic from the founding of Yongdamsa. The temple was rebuilt on its original site in 1914, and further reconstruction was carried out in 1930 and 1989.