Jangansa (장안사, 長安寺, N 38.6135, E 128.0671) was a

Korean Buddhist temple Buddhist temples are an important part of the Korean landscape. This article gives a brief overview of Korean Buddhism, then describes some of the more important temples in Korea. Most Korean temples have names ending in ''-sa'' (사, 寺), whic ...

Mount Geumgang Mount Kumgang () or the Kumgang Mountains is a mountain massif, with a peak, in Kangwon-do, North Korea. It is located on the east coast of the country, in Mount Kumgang Tourist Region, formerly part of Kangwŏn Province, and is part of the ...

(금강산,金剛山). This temple was one of the Four Great Temples of Mount Geumgang, along with

Pyohunsa P'yohun-sa (표훈사, 表訓寺) is a Korean Buddhist temple located on Mount Kumgang, North Korea. Founded in the 7th century under the kingdom of Silla, it is the only one of Mount Kumgang's four great temples to have survived the Korean War ...

(표훈사, 表訓寺),

Singyesa Singye-sa is a Korean Buddhist temple located in Onjong-ri in Kosong County, Kangwon Province, North Korea. Once one of the largest of the hundreds of temples located in scenic Mount Kumgang, the complex was destroyed by US bombings during the K ...

(신계사, 神溪寺) and

Yujomsa Yujŏm-sa is a Korean Buddhist temple located on Mount Kumgang, North Korea. Founded under the kingdom of Silla, it underwent many successive restorations before being destroyed by American forces during the Korean War. History Yujom Temple was ...

(유점사, 楡岾寺).. This temple is said to have been founded by monk Hyeryang during the reign of

Beopheung of Silla Beopheung of Silla (r. 514–540 AD) was the 23rd monarch of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was preceded by King Jijeung (r. 500–514) and succeeded by King Jinheung. By the time of his reign, Buddhism had become fairly commo ...

or during the reign of Yangwon of Goguryeo.

Paintings (Joseon period)

Jangansa was depicted by many Korean painters. Among them: * Jeong Seon <장안사(長安寺)> in the 《Sin-myo Year Pungakdo Album 辛卯年楓岳圖帖》, 1711, watercolor on silk, approximately 36×37.4cm. *

Kim Hong-do Gim Hongdo (김홍도, born 1745, died 1806?-1814?), also known as Kim Hong-do, most often styled Danwon (단원), was a full-time painter of the Joseon period of Korea. He was together a pillar of the establishment and a key figure of the new ...

<장안사(長安寺)> in the 《Geumgang Four Counties Album 금강사군첩(金剛四郡帖)》, 1788 *

Kim Ha-jong Kim Ha-jong(김하종, 金夏鐘), 1793–after 1875, was a Joseon court painter. His ho was Yudang, 유당, 蕤堂. He is known for the ''Album of Sea and Mountains'' (Haesan-docheop, 해산도첩,海山圖帖), which contains 25 paintings, eac ...

<장안사(長安寺)> in the 《Haesando Album 해산도첩(海山圖帖)》, 1815

Japanese colonial period

The volume 12 (1932) of the "Joseon historical site walk" contains several views of each temple around Mt. Geumgang, Jangansa among them. Taken during the Japanese colonial period by a well-known scholar, these pictures are precious since many of these buildings are no longer extant. Two of them are reproduced here.

Destruction

During the Korean war, the

Bombing of North Korea Air forces of the United Nations Command carried out an extensive bombing campaign against North Korea from 1950 to 1953 during the Korean War. It was the first major bombing campaign for the United States Air Force (USAF) since its inception in ...

dropped a total of 635,000 tons of bombs, including 32,557 tons of napalm, on Korea. "Every installation, facility, and village in North Korea ecamea military and tactical target", and the orders given to the Fifth Air Force and Bomber Command was to "destroy every means of communications and every installation, factory, city, and village".. As a result, the whole site has been destroyed by the US bombings of the area. Unlike

, Jangansa was not rebuilt. The ruins are classified as the #96

National Treasure (North Korea) A National Treasure (국보; 國寶 : ) is a tangible artifact, site, or building deemed by the Government of North Korea to have significant historical or artistic value to the country. History The first list of Korean cultural treasures was des ...

Notes

References

* , 594 pages * * * 15 volumes. * The

page here is supposed to provide a fair English translation of this list. * . 10 volumes, 2800 pages. What is said about Jangansa can be accessed through thi
Naver link
(장안사터). {{coord missing, North Korea Buddhist temples in North Korea