After the tour we returned to guide-lady’s office where she asked if we would like coffee or tea. Supposedly, to a Korean, there is no such thing as The Sea of Japan, the body of water between Korea and Japan is known only as the East Sea. i admire you for persisting in carrying out all that you wanted to do and see. You’ll have the option to choose from a one day program (5h) or the overnight program. We did exactly as the “how to get here” directions stated and took the #10 bus to the temple. Hotels near Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju on Tripadvisor: Find 2,604 traveller reviews, 8,970 candid photos, and prices for 30 hotels near Bulguksa Temple in … I’m sorry the weather was so inclement and the arrangements so unsatisfactory. … Required fields are marked *. Dan and I put on our ridiculously large temple-stay outfits which guide-lady told us we had to wear at all times. Participants will get the chance to practice the morning chants, meditation, 108 prostrations, etc which will lead to introspection and time heal oneself. Instead, she gave us no information on our “new” itinerary, we were left in the dark the entire time. But when later came she was in no mood for stopping for photos and even told me to leave my camera in her office for the evening so the few photos I did get were with my Galaxy S6 phone. In 1995, Bulguksa … She drove much faster than made me feel comfortable, even on dry roads and thankfully there no ice. The artifact was at one point taken to Japan in 1906 but was returned in 1933. A sarira is a container for the relics or remains of famous priests or royalty. She proceeded to take us on a tour of the main temple at the busiest time of day, in the pouring rain. Recommended. She then explained that we weren’t actually staying on the temple grounds. Bulguksa is a Buddhist temple complex that comprises a series of wooden buildings on raised stone terraces. The scenery inside Bulguksa Temple … Or maybe we just got unlucky with the temple we chose. Finally she returned with traditional Korean tea and this was the closest we got to the “tea ceremony” that both she and the online program stated we would be part of. The directions mentioned nothing further and we assumed it would be obvious where to go. 26 and No. It is a reminder of the beauty and preciousness of Korean cultural heritage. We returned to the building where we were staying off the complex. I attempted to cheer myself up and hope for the best. The only interaction we had with them was bowing to them. Copyright ⓒ 2016 Templestay. I also felt ridiculous walking around in over-sized sweatpants and vest while all of the other tourists were properly dressed. ○ Preparationspersonal toiletries, towels, spare clothing, comfortable shoes(preferably running shoes/ trekking shoes), socks, umbrella(if rain), personal water bottle(thermos) if need○ Instagram : https://instrgram.com/bulguksatemplestay. International Seon Center Temple Stay | Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. We had made our reservation through templestay, an organization in Korea that opens up several Korean temples to foreigners to “experience the life of Buddhist practitioners at traditional temples.”. The next morning she instructed us to be awake at 5:30 for breakfast. The experiential program … The International … In addition to the revered National Treasures, the temple grounds themselves are quite beautiful. We've got 21 hotels to choose from within a mile of Bulguksa Temple. There are so many reasons to book your Bulguksa Temple … Supposedly, she was surprised we showed up and explained many people cancel last minute if it’s raining. 1 by the South Korean government. As you can see, my spring Temple Stay has left me with a lot of reflections and this past weekend I visited Bulguk Temple in the gorgeous city of Gyeongju. To make matters worse the price that I thought was per couple was actually per person and we didn’t have enough cash. Both statues are estimated to be from the late 8th or early part of the 9th century and share stylistic features. Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju is one of the most celebrated and visited temples in the whole of South Korea. Dan and I understood little of what she said. The temple also runs a Bulguksa temple stay on a yearly basis. And imagine assuming that you were not going to tun up according to your prearranged obligation! It is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and encompasses seven National treasures of South Korea, including the Dabotap and Seokgatapstone pagodas, Cheongun-gyo (Blue Cloud Bridge), and two gilt-bronze statues of Buddha. The templestay residence is located just outside the main temple.INFO : +82-54-746-0983 / +82-10-7773-0983(office cell phone) / www.bulguksa.or.kr / bulguksabella@gmail.comLOCATION : Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province■ Bulguksa Templestay Participation Guide ○ A scent of Millennium - One day program - 1~4hr/ over 10 people (minimum) - Temple tour, Tea time with a monk, Lotus flower lantern making, Prayer beads making, etc. Book your tickets online for Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju: See 1,271 reviews, articles, and 2,233 photos of Bulguksa Temple, ranked No.2 on Tripadvisor among 101 … Only the next morning did she mention smaller sizes were available for me…. 1 by the South Korean government. I reviewed two of the magazines published by Templestay Korea which featured other temple-stays and they looked amazing (totally inline with, if not above my expectations). - 20,000(KRW)~40,000(KRW) - Groups discounts available ○ Breathing in the Millennial air - Overnight program - One night & Two days/ over 3~5 people (minimum) - Temple Etiquette, Temple Tour, Tea time with a monk, Morning ceremony and Meditation, Listening to four Dharma instruments, 108 Prostrations with prayer beads making or Lotus flower lantern making, Circling around the Pagodas, Temple meals - Adult 80,000(KRW), Student 70,000(KRW) - Groups discounts available○ Inquiry Time : 09:00-17:00 Office : 82-(0)54-746-0983 Mobile : 82-10-7773-0983 bulguksa@templestay.com * Please leave a message when not answering the call which is due to running the templestay program.○ Please arrive by 2:00PM or 2:30PM○ For groups(company training, travel agencies, schools), custom-made programs are available, please check in advance with the temple’s manager.○ Our temple house(accomodation) is outside of the temple where is far about 20 min. The templestay at Bulguksa Temple is an opportunity to learn about Buddhism and the dignified Silla culture. 4F Templestay Center, 56, Ujeongguk-ro, The only semi-difficult part was the last bead which you needed to thread both ends of the string through to knot and finish properly. She also explained that only two monks would be attending the ceremony – the only two not on holidays I assume. Also consider a temple stay in the future and I know I would avoid this one. To start with, the weather was seriously against us – it was freezing and raining and we did not have suitable clothing. The Seokguram Grotto is a hermitage and is classified as National Treasure No. Bulguksa Temple is one of Gyeongju-si's most renowned sites. For more information on Templestay Korea, check out their website: http://eng.templestay.com/, Or specifically for the Bulguksa Templestay: http://www.bulguksa.org/4. If you want to find things to do in the area, you may want to check out Blue One Water Park and Bomun Lake. She seemed quite happy about getting to stay away from the temple for a night – she explained she doesn’t get cable TV in her temple room and was happy to watch her shows. It was designated as a historic site number 502 by Korean government. Upon answering ‘tea’ she flustered about as she actually only had coffee in her office. Want to take your own swoon-worthy pictures of Bulguksa Temple? We skipped the morning ceremony (at 3:30 AM) as she said it was exactly the same as the evening ceremony and barely any monks would attend. The final irony being that the temple stay program was actually taking away from me enjoying this amazing temple at this point. The Amitabha Buddha statue is 1.66 metres in height and enshrined in Geuknakjeon. The pair were built at the same time as their brother bridges, National Treasure No.23: the Cheongungyo (Blue Cloud Bridge) and Baegungyo (White Cloud Bridge) Bridges. The only thing I had looked forward to more than staying in a temple was interacting with the monks. Enjoy your article. At this point, the only remaining thing we had left to do was visit Seokguram Grotto. Address : Bulguksa, 385, Bulguk-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. Bulguksa■ BULGUKSA TEMPLESTAY - A Unesco World Heritage SiteBulguksa Temple has been listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site and is the temple that best exemplifies the Buddhist culture of the 8th century. Where is Bulguksa Temple? After dinner, guide-lady pointed to the buildings where the monks are usually living (most of which are currently empty). during your temple stay. I asked guide-lady if I could take pictures and she promptly replied “no.” I did manage to take a quick picture of the buffet setup. When it comes to Gyeongju, Bulguksa Temple comes to mind. Finding the perfect hotel for your next trip to see Bulguksa Temple is easy via Agoda.com… While I have never tried to learn to meditate before, I don’t think guide-lady was doing a very good job teaching us. Check in to one of these sought-after options and visit Bulguksa Temple anytime you like. Our guide-lady proudly pointed out (multiple times) that the temple is classified as Historic and Scenic Site No. Our most popular tours … If you take only one tour, take the one that would include the Bulguksa (temple… … by foot or 5 min. Supposedly, it’s good luck to touch the pig. The temple encompasses seven national treasures of South Korea: The Yeonhwagyo (Lotus Flower Bridge) and Chilbogyo (Seven Treasures Bridge) are a pair of bridges that are part of a stairway that leads to the temple. Guide-lady had said she would drive us up (about 4 km away) but was concerned about ice on the roads as the temperatures had dropped below zero over night. The next thing she said sent Dan and I flying into awful moods. Bulguksa Temple 불국사 is arguably the most popular attraction in Gyeongju along with Anapji Pond 안압지 which is extremely picturesque at night. At least you got a lot of attention form guide-lady I’m glad Dan amazed her with his dexterity! Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple can be accessed directly from Gyeongju bus station.Bus service 10 and 11 go to Bulguksa temple and the journey lasts around 40 minutes and costs in the region of 1,700 won (1,42 USD).. To reach Seokguram Grotto from the temple… Bulguksa Temple, which literally translates to Temple of the Buddha Land, is considered as a masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art in the Silla kingdom and is currently the head temple of the 11th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. I found it really strange too because earlier when I was taking photos, attempting to crop out as many people as possible from the frame, guide-lady said to wait until later when the temple was empty. That said, this one is off limits for photography which honestly annoyed me. The large cafeteria-style room with benches and tables looked like any other stripped down work-room cafeteria. Tohamsan, the … Agoda.com has secured the lowest rates at hotels near many other Historical Buildings. The temple is classified as Historic … We ate our food in silence and I have no idea what we tried, nor do I have any photos of the food. The temple was constructed under King Gyeongdeok in 751 and was completed in 774 by the Silla royal court.  Like many of the other sites we visited in Korea, Bulguksa was burned to the ground during the Imjin wars, later reconstructed and expanded multiple times. Bulguksa … This seriously worried Dan and I as even without ice on the roads she was a horrifying driver and I am honestly astounded she didn’t hit anyone just driving between the temple and our residence. I was planning to do a temple stay probably just a visit would do. Breakfast was in the same cafeteria as dinner, I have no idea what we ate and again, there were no monks present. bulguksa@templestay.com 불국사 대한불교 조계종 제11교구 본사 불국사는 한국불교를 대표하는 사찰이자, 유네스코가 지정한 세계문화유산입니다. Thank you for the information. The head temple complex of Jogye Korean Buddhism, Bulguksa Temple features two exquisite stone pagodas and a gilded bronze statue of Buddha, which earned it World Heritage Site status. This sarira pagoda, looks like a stone lantern and stands 2.1 metres tall. The grounds of Bulguksa are divided into three areas – Birojeon (the Vairocana Buddha Hall), Daeungjeon (the Hall of Great Enlightenment… Gyeongju is home to Bulguksa Temple. Guide-lady was beyond amazed when Dan completed his using a piece of wire to guide the second string through. The main Buddha statue is actually quite amazing, It is 3.5 metres tall and sits on a 1.3 meter tall lotus pedestal. Will be visiting Bulguksa temple tomorrow. ○ Pay in advance(both credit cards or direct deposits are possible) -Nonghyup(농협) 351-0469-5996-13 Bulguksa(불국사) Overseas participants(residents) can make a payment at site. Bulguksa Temple The Bulguksa Temple, or Temple of the Buddha Land, was built to represent paradise. ** Contents included is depending on program types. But I do highly recommend visiting this astounding temple filled with National Treasures, just during regular hours as one of many, many tourists! However, it turns out there’s multiple entrances to Bulguksa Temple and the temple grounds are massive. Guide-lady explained the stones from National Treasure 22 and 23 are some of the only features preserved from the original Silla construction. However, there was another room slightly further down with all the lights off that appeared much nicer and looked to be where the monks ate if/when they were here. When it comes to Gyeongju, Bulguksa Temple comes to mind. The Bulguksa temple in the sacred city of Gyeongju (South Korea) - Duration: ... Stan's Vlog #21 - Temple Stay At Bulguksa (불국사) - Duration: 10:40. … But then I remembered Korea’s long and troubled history with Japan. *Guide-lady pointed out more times than I cared to count how troubled Korea’s past was as a direct result of the Japanese and how terrible they were. Where Can I Stay near Bulguksa Temple? All Rrights Resreved. Your temple stay was heroic! A fall temple stay in Bulguksa, Gyeongju. Seokgrum Grotto, constructed in the mid-7th century, exemplifies some of the best Buddhist sculptures in the world. Briefly, Bulguksa Temple has a very long history of ups and … The Temple Stay program offered at Bulguksa allows participants the opportunity to learn about Buddhist culture during the Silla kingdom. Thanks from Toronto Canada, Your email address will not be published. Stay in the Bomen Lake area to be close to a few of the main attractions. Most of the food we had tried thus far in Korea was heavily focused on meat and seafood; thus, I was excited to try vegan “temple food” dishes and eat with the monks. (There are several different tours) It leaves from the hotels. National Treasures No. Turns out we were about to spend a lot of money (way more than our usual budget) and get nothing we wanted. The two famous stone pagodas, Dabotap and Seokgatap, which reside in the main courtyard of the Bulguksa Temple complex. After 30 minutes or so we left as the temple was getting ready to open to the public. Historic Sites, Sacred & Religious Sites. When we arrived for dinner, the few monks that were still at the temple were just leaving and we dined with the rest of the staff. Email: support@templestay.com Bulguksa … The scenery inside Bulguksa Temple … How to Get to Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple. You seem to have weathered it together iin your strange attire! When we came into her living room it felt more like we were interrupting her from watching her shows (she asked if we wanted them left on…) then about to make meditation bead necklaces. Making the necklaces consisted of stringing a pre-counted number of wooden beads onto a pre-cut length of string. As it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is beautiful and has many tourists. Thus, Dan and I were left trekking uphill dragging two luggage’s, each with a backpack and small umbrella helplessly trying to stay dry. Reservation status will be informed through an e-mail. We had no idea where to go and the information desk at the bottom was completely useless. -Choose the program at the templestay reservation system. 13.0 km from Bulguksa Temple #30 Best Value of 1,472 places to stay in Gyeongju Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, … Hi everybody! Maybe my expectations were way out of line and I should have just enjoyed having the privilege to walk around a temple after hours at all. ○ The program contents & time line can be changed due to seasons, weather, conditions of the temple, numbers of participants, or any unexpected matters. The stairs at the Anyangmun-Gate and Jahamun-Gate particularly display the power of the Silla kingdom and culture. Guide-lady stayed in another building just down the driveway from us. Bulguksa is located on the slopes of Mt Toham and the temple is classified as Historic and Scenic Site No. As it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is beautiful and has many tourists. Due to the temple’s UNESCO designation they cannot expand and only have enough rooms for a limited amount of monks so they had built a complex of rooms a five minute drive away. The food was laid out buffet style and guide-lady gave us very little information other than we had better eat every last grain of rice on our plates, so don’t take too much. She instructed us to rest for a bit and then come down and join her in making meditation beads. 1,271 Reviews #2 of 100 things to do in Gyeongju. Bulguksa Temple. It appeared as though there may usually be quite a few monks living on site. This Temple is one of the best known buddhist temple in Korea, Bulguksaka Temple epitomizes the spectacular Buddhist culture that blossomed … Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism You can also hail a taxi, which’ll take around 20-25 minutes to reach Bulguksa … Save on popular hotels near Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju: Browse Expedia's selection of {location.lodging.hotelCount} hotels and places to stay closest to Bulguksa Temple… AllaPonomareva November 24, 2015 7:41 am November 24, 2015. I guess no one was available. No monks! Walking back to the parking lot, guide-lady called one of the monks asking if anyone was available to chat with us but when she hung up she explained to us that we would spend the evening with her instead. I then realized that she was referring to the Sea of Japan (which the grotto overlooks). At this point she dropped us off in our freezing cold room (again, she “wasn’t expecting us”) and gave us time to get changed and ready for the day. -Choose the dates and fill-in with the basic informations needed.-You can also send us an email with details required for reservation. Through months of travelling Asia, on both this trip and my last trip to Southeast Asia, I can testify that I have seen a lot of Buddha statues and this is one of the best. When we visited one was undergoing a major restoration inside a glass shelter. The experiential program affords guests the opportunity to learn about the cultural assets at the temple, and take walks around the pagodas. The temple is also where the famed Seokgatap and Dabotap pagodas are located. All bundled up, we waited outside for her to pick us up. After being pointed and laughed at by vendors and other tourists with no luggage and large umbrellas, finally, the guard at one of the top entrances coordinated with the lady who was supposed to be meeting us. This impressive temple … And I by no means want to discourage anyone from participating in a temple-stay program – maybe just don’t do it at Bulguksa. The next stop was a visit to her office to discuss payment. Bulguksa is located on the slopes of Mt Toham and the temple … by a car. The online program stated we would do the temple tour before opening hours the following morning which would have been ideal…so much for that. If it wasn’t for the freezing and wet conditions I could have spent hours wandering aimlessly through them. All of the monks were on holidays for the month we would spend the entire time with her. 13.0 km from Bulguksa Temple #30 Best Value of 1,472 places to stay in Gyeongju Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include … As guide-lady explained the site to us, she pointed towards the “East Sea.” Having never heard the term before, I originally thought something was getting lost in translation. I’m not sure how she planned on “teaching” us to finish the necklace. During the program you will have a tour of the temple… Take a day tour. Ask the hotel to help you do the booking. Finally, we walked down to her place and pounded on the door – she had slept in. Fax : 82-2-732-9928 Bulguksa Temple, which literally translates to Temple of the Buddha Land, is considered as a masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art in the Silla kingdom … Luckily, guide-lady explained we could use the temples credit card machine at the gates. I had no idea that was an option, we had made a reservation and I planned on keeping it. I was looking forward to walking through the temple complex after hours – after all of the other tourists had left – and was disappointed that we rushed through it barely seeing anything. But the atmosphere seems wrong, not the calm one associates with Buddhism! But you have to do a booking the day before. Bulguksa Temple 불국사 is arguably the most popular attraction in Gyeongju along with Anapji Pond 안압지 which is extremely picturesque at night. My heart sank, again. A temple stay was one of the things I was looking forward to most in Korea; which brings us back to the fact that disappointment is most prevalent when expectations are high. 27 are two guilt-bronze Buddha statues. 24. It is one of the best known cultural destinations in South Korea and is supposedly a popular sunrise destination, although it was nearly empty when we visited. Stay nearby and capture it morning, noon and night. Nestled on the the wooded slopes of Mt. Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. We stopped at a few spots and she did her best to explain things but we learned more from reading the posted signs. At this point we hopped in our guide’s – referred to as “guide-lady for the remained of this post – car and she began to drive, away from the temple. I had read the online program and was expecting to spend the afternoon at Seoukgurm. It’s not like we could reschedule for another day – our days in Korea were pretty limited. Unluckily, we were now spending way way way over budget and things were yet to improve. Wasn’t the entire point of a temple stay to stay in the temple… or at least on the temple grounds? Bulguksa is a temple of Korean Buddhism in Gyeongju in South Korea. After breakfast we went straight to practice meditation (instead of enjoying the empty temple grounds in dry weather). You’re right about expectations but your expectations were reasonable; the failures were not on your part.Anyway, it’s a wonderful account! I could only think that maybe we should have stuck to the program and visited in the afternoon of the previous day. After debating the issue with someone on her phone and sitting it out in her office for awhile she said a monk told her the roads were fine. Visitors enjoy Gyeongju for attractions such as the historical sites. The Bulguksa Temple (aka Pulguk-sa Temple or 'Temple of the Buddha Land') was built in the 8th century CE on the wooded slopes of Mt. Bulguksa is located on the slopes of Mount Toham (Jinheon-dong, Gyeongju city, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea). We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. When you stay at Bulguksa Family Hotel in Gyeongju, you'll be next to a golf course, just steps from Seokguram Grotto and 13 minutes by foot from Bulguksa Temple. Your email address will not be published. She did explain that there are two forms, sitting and walking. To get to the temple from Gyeongju, take the 40-minute bus ride on no 10 or 11 from either the intercity or express bus terminals, or the train station. Bulguksa temple is open daily, and entry costs 4,000 W for adults. The Buddha of Enlightenment is enshrined in the Birojeon and 1.77 metres in height. We practiced both, the former sitting on the freezing cold floor trying to wiggle our toes to keep them from falling off and the latter walking around the Meditation Hall for all of two minutes. – the only interaction we had with them was bowing to them couple was actually person. A visit would do the temple grounds you do the temple we chose program types it turns out we left... Things were yet to improve morning did she mention smaller sizes were available for me… Bulguksa... Our “ new ” itinerary, we had made a reservation and I know I would avoid this.! 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We left as the “ how to get here ” directions stated and took the # 10 bus the! It comes to mind arrangements so unsatisfactory we walked down to her to... Wasn ’ t for the month we would do the booking, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea,!