''Sansa'' () is a term for any

Korean Buddhist temple Buddhist temples are an important part of the Korean landscape. Most Korean temples have names ending in ''-sa'' (), which means "monastery" in Sino-Korean vocabulary, Sino-Korean. Many temples participate in the Templestay program, where visitors ...

located on a mountain. Seven of these temples are designated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. With the country being largely mountainous and Buddhism deeply rooted in its history, there are many ''sansas'' across the country. The word ''sansa'' is composed of two words, ''san'' and ''sa'', which mean mountain and monastery/temple respectively.

UNESCO World Heritage ''sansas''

{, class="wikitable" ! colspan="2" , ''Sansa'' !Location !Established , - , , style="text-align:center " ,

Tongdosa Tongdosa ()Le Bas, Tom :"South Korea" pg 244, Insight Guides, 8th edition 2007 is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and in the southern part of Mt. Chiseosan near Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Tongdosa is on ...

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Yangsan Yangsan (; ) is a city in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, South Korea. It borders Ulsan to the northeast, Gijang-gun and Geumjeong District in Busan to the southeast, Gimhae to the southwest, and Miryang to the northwest. City Hall is located in Nam ...

, style="text-align:center; font-size: 90% " , 646 , - , , style="text-align:center " ,

Buseoksa Buseoksa Temple () is a Buddhist temple located near Mt. Bonghwang in Buseok-myeon, Yeongju, South Korea. It was founded by the prominent scholar-monk Uisang in 676, the 16th year of Munmu of Silla. Buseoksa temple is also well known as the "Tem ...

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Yeongju Yeongju (; ) is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It has an area of 668.84 km2 and a population of 113,930 people according to the 2008 census. The city borders Bonghwa county to the east, Danyang County of North Chungcheong Pr ...

, style="text-align:center; font-size: 90% " , 676 , - , , style="text-align:center " ,

Bongjeongsa Bongjeongsa () is a Korean Buddhism, Buddhist temple on the slopes of Mount Cheondeung in Andong city, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is a subsidiary temple of Gounsa, the head temple of the 16th branch of Jogye Order.(in Korean봉 ...

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Andong Andong () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong Ri ...

, style="text-align:center; font-size: 90% " , 677 , - , , style="text-align:center " ,

Beopjusa Beopjusa (, or Beopju temple), is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is situated on the slopes of Songnisan, within Songnisan National Park, in Naesongni-myeon, Boeun County, in the province of North Chungcheong Province, S ...

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Boeun County Boeun County (''Boeun-gun'') is a county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. History Boeun ( literally "offering gratitude" or "thanksgiving"), was a South Korean town named in 1406 by a remorseful King Taejong, who felt relieved that ...

, style="text-align:center; font-size: 90% " , Mid 8th Century , - , , style="text-align:center " ,

Magoksa Magoksa () is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in Gongju, South Korea. It is located on the eastern slope of Taehwasan, on taegeuk-shaped bend in the Taegeukcheon Stream. It also offers temple stay programs where visitors can ...

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Gongju Gongju (; ) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. History Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo. Goguryeo had overrun the previ ...

, style="text-align:center; font-size: 90% " , Latter half of the 9th Century , - , Seonamsa Iljumun 11-06785

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Seonamsa Seonamsa () is a Korean Buddhist temple on the eastern slope at the west end of Jogyesan Provincial Park, within the northern Seungjumyeon District of the city of Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. It belongs to the Taego Order althoug ...

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Suncheon Suncheon (; ) is the largest city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, with a population of 280,719 as of 2022. It is located in the southeast of the province and is a scenic agricultural and industrial city, known for tourist attractions, suc ...

, style="text-align:center; font-size: 90% " , Latter half of the 9th Century , - , Daeheungsa 11-03926

, style="text-align:center " ,

Daeheungsa Daeheungsa (), sometimes called Daedunsa, is a main temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Daeheungsa is located on the slopes of Duryunsan (Duryun Mountain) in Samsan township, Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Origins ...

({{Korean, hangul=대흥사, hanja=大興寺, rr=Daeheungsa, mr=Taehŭngsa) , style="font-size: 90%" ,

Haenam County Haenam (''Haenam-gun'') is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. The capital of Haenam-gun is Haenam-eup (Haenam town). The economy of the county is based mainly on agriculture, with rice and radish being the two most common crops. Hist ...

, style="text-align:center; font-size: 90% " , Latter half of the 9th Century

References

World Heritage Sites in South Korea Buddhist temples in South Korea

UNESCO World Heritage ''sansas''

See also

References