Sangwonsa

Sangwonsa () is a Buddhist temple located in Pyeongchang County, Gangwon-do, South Korea. It is located within Odaesan National Park.

History

The temple was first founded in 705 by two Silla-era princes, Bocheon (보천; 寶川) and Hyomyeong (효명; 孝明), in which according to the '' Samguk Yusa'', these two princes each founded a hermitage on the spots where they saw a blue lotus blooming. Initially called Jinyeowon (진여원; 眞如院), the temple name changed to Sangwonsa during the Goryeo dynasty, when it underwent a major renovation. The temple was spared during the suppression of Buddhism of the Joseon dynasty; instead, it underwent expansion, with new buildings being built on the orders of King Taejong. King Sejo also had a deep relationship with this temple, who not only helped to renovate and expand, but also donated items such as bowls and clothing, as well as a set of Tripitaka Koreana, and even gathered monks to meditate together. Because of this, Sangwonsa enjoyed tax-exemption benefits throughout the Joseon dynasty per the will of King Sejo.

In 1946, the temple was burnt down after a fire accidentally broke out. It was rebuilt in 1947 by Lee Jong-wook (이종욱; 李鍾郁), the head priest of Woljeongsa. During the Korean War, as UN troops retreated from the north, Walton Walker and Kim Baek-il ko">:ko:김백일">ko who were commanders of the U.S. 8th Army and Republic of Korea Army I Corps respectively, ordered a scorched earth policy of the area. The monk Hanam (한암; 漢巖) prevented the temple from destruction by vowing to defend it with his life, and in the end the troops decided to remove a few doors and burn them instead, to create the illusion of the temple being burned; both the monk and the officers decision had spared the loss of cultural heritage.

Cultural Properties

The temple grounds contains the following:

* Bell of Sangwonsa (designated as National Treasure No. 36 in 1962)
* Sakyamuni Buddha statue
* Manjusri Bodhisattva statue
* The wooden statue of boy Manjusri ko">:ko:평창_상원사_목조문수동자좌상">ko(designated as National Treasure No. 793 in 1984)
* The wooden statue of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva

* Yeongsanjeon Sakyamuni Triad and Sixteen Arhats ko] (designated as Gangwon-do Heritage preservation in South Korea, Tangible Cultural Property No. 162 in 2011)
* Documents of Sangwonsa Temple ko">:ko:평창_상원사_중창권선문">ko(designated as National Treasure No. 292 in 1997)

See also

* Bell of Sangwonsa

References

External links

Official website

Buddhist temples in South Korea
Buddhist temples of the Jogye Order
Pyeongchang County
Buildings and structures in Gangwon Province, South Korea
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