Deemed “Korea’s most beautiful temple,” Haedong Yonggungsa in Busan is truly breathtaking. As one of only a few seaside temples in South Korea, its views are unmatched by even our very favorite temples that we’ve visited. And I’ve been to my fair share of Buddhist temples since our move to SoKo. Today I’m sharing all about the history behind the temple, as well as some tips for visiting this incredible location yourself.
Exploring Haedong Yonggungsa in Busan
Haedong Yonggungsa in Busan has been on my list ever since I first heard about it from my friend over at Loving Life Moore. She had a very different experience than we did – as she visited the temple on a Saturday afternoon and we visited on a Saturday at sunrise – but she’s an ACTUAL photographer, so her photos don’t leave quite as much to be desired as mine do. Still, I hope my amateur photography doesn’t totally ruin the beauty of this incredible temple.
As I said, we opted to visit the temple at sunrise – crazy as that seems with five young kids. Honestly, we were just in no mood to deal with INSANE crowds – which we knew we’d have to face if we went later in the day. And besides, the forecast for the afternoon was rain, rain, and MORE rain – so we figured we’d get out before that. And as it turned out, it was the best possible decision. We had the grounds mostly to ourselves, and watching the sun rise and reflect off the water and the temple was INCREDIBLE. It was calming and, honestly, the best way to start out our morning.
Haedong Yonggungsa was originally established in 1376 during Korea’s Goryeo dynasty – it was named Bomun Temple back then. Unfortunately, the temple was completely destroyed in the 1590’s during one of Japan’s many invasions of Korea. It was rebuilt in the 1930’s and then given it’s current name in 1974. Today it stands to honor the Sea Goddess Buddha of Mercy and is a major tourist attraction for anyone visiting Busan.
The grounds of the temple are expansive and include a tall pagoda, multiple large Buddha statues, a large reclining Buddha, multiple buildings, hundreds of stairs, and even a cave. I recommend either visiting at sunrise like we did or right before sunset, when crowds are smaller and you can have more space to just enjoy the grounds in peace.
Despite visiting at around 6:00am, it was already hot and humid and there were a LOT of stairs to climb. Still, the kids loved seeing the different colored lanterns, the golden Buddhas, and the many wishes that people wrote and attached in various places throughout the grounds.
And, of course, you can’t beat the sound of the ocean waves crashing up against the rocks just below the temple. It was relaxing and serene and we were so glad we had taken the effort to visit so early. I’ve heard the temple described as overrated, but I don’t get it. This temple was everything I was hoping for and more and if we ever find ourselves in Busan again, you can bet we’ll be paying it a visit.
Our trip to Busan was filled with a lot of mixed emotions. Between having pretty crummy weather for most our trip, the inability to use public transportation because of the train strike, and a few other things, it would have been easy for us to throw in the towel and consider the trip a waste. But seeing sights like this temple and experiencing Korea’s incredible culture made the trip to Busan completely worth it – even if everything didn’t go exactly as we’d hoped!
’til next time…
Ash
How to visit Haedong Yonggungsa in Busan
Directions & Parking: Because we visited Busan during a train strike, we opted to drive everywhere we needed to go, rather than rely on public transportation. Thankfully, we were also there during a less busy season, so parking was generally plentiful. There is a private paid parking lot near the temple that is affordable. From the parking lot entrance, turn left and follow the line of shops and vendors until you come to the entrance of the temple. On busy days, follow the crowds! Because we visited before sunrise, the parking lot was almost completely empty and we had most of the temple grounds to ourselves. Be aware that if you visit later in the day or during busy seasons (like in April when the cherry blossoms are in bloom and Buddha’s birthday is celebrated), there will likely be a long wait to get into the temple grounds.
Naver pin: Haedong Yonggungsa Parking Lot or paste 부산 기장군 기장읍 용궁길 57 into Naver.
Cost:
Haedong Yonggungsa
FREE
Parking
The parking lot costs ₩2,000 for 30 minutes and ₩500 for every 10 minutes after that. It maxes out at ₩20,000. ONLY CREDIT CARDS are accepted, but the machine did accept our American credit card.
Hours: Haedong Yonggungsa is open daily from 5:00am – sunset. For a truly breathtaking view, consider showing up about 20 minutes before sunrise and watching the sun come up over the horizon.
Amenities: There are bathrooms located within the temple grounds. There is also a café within the grounds of the temple. Just outside of the temple entrance there is a whole street of shops and cafés – none of which were open when we arrived at around 6:00am – but some were preparing to open as we were leaving around 7:00am.
