On Saturday Park dissapeared to a friend's wedding so Mr Chirtoca, Ki Tae and I dropped him off at the bus station and headed off to entertain ourselves....
After a late breakfast we made a quick stop back at the dojang where we picked up one of our students who had turned up just to hang out and headed off to a temple that we had heard was nearby....
Eunhasa is set on a mountain near Inche University. Once you get to the base of the mountain you move quickly from bustling Uni town to a winding road through peaceful, green forest.
This particular temple site was used in the production of a Korean movie about the Korean Mafia and the strength and indomitable spirit of the monks... You can see why they would use this particular temple from the photos below - it's beautiful!!!
There's a very rough walking track that leads from the carpark up to the temple site itself.....
The first sign of the temple grounds themselves is designated by a beautiful gate....
Then you make your way up the stone stairs (the monks here are part mountain goat - am sure of it)....
Through the pond(?)....
Before coming upon the beautiful structure housing the temple bell.....
The base of which is made up of huge tree trunks....
Then into the main grounds....
The sites for these temples are chosen as much for the geographical beauty as anything else....
The unpainted structures indicate scholarly pursuits....
The gardens are filled with simple lines and beautiful plants.....
The painting of these buildings plays a dual role, not only one of beautification, but also of protection from the elements and from borers.... One month a year is dedicated to the repainting of these buildings, and at every temple site, one monk's role is the repainting itself.....
Nothing like the peace and tranquility of a temple to bring smiles to our faces....
No comments:
Post a Comment