Temples. . . all over the place

Sometimes I just get lucky.

My tourist M.O. follows the accidental tourist mentality: I drive around until I see a sign pointing to a landmark, follow the arrows, and hopefully when I arrive there's something to see. Usually the objects of the arrows are big and obvious enough that even this English-only American can find them, like the monument to King Jeonjo the Great, and the Anseong brassware museum. Sometimes after following the arrows in circles I just give up, baffled, frustrated and wondering why there's an English sign on the highway but only signs in Hangul at the destination. Ironically, the Korean Literary Museum is one such landmark I haven't yet found. Fortunately, temples are big, colorful, generally hard to hide and easy to spot.

Driving East along highway 38 one weekend I simultaneously spotted a familiar-looking brown sign with an arrow, presumably pointing toward a landmark. I checked the rearview mirror while braking hard and swerving onto the access road, and mentally added 1.2km to the odometer as indicated on the sign. After a few weekends of seeking landmarks my skills are improving, but sometimes I wonder why people don't want to ride along on my weekend excursions.

The road follows a gentle stream with families picnicking on the wider banks, and at the end lies the parking lot of the Seongnamsa temple.


The first building I saw from the parking lot was over the steps to the temple grounds.




The building is a large open room facing the temple grounds, empty except for a stack of woven rugs stacked in one corner. Perhaps this is the dance hall? The pictures really speak volumes more than I can write, the paintwork is absolutely amazing.



The painted dragon banner picture on my blog page is from one of the beams




I do wonder about the wooden fish though...


Continuing up the steps I see the main temple at the top, with its doors open.



Midway up the stairs is a clearing with still more things see



Yet another stone pagoda...



And finally, I reach the temple. I poked my lens inside the open doors and this is what I saw:






And finally, on the walk back to the parking lot, I discovered the how the Buddhists do real Korean BBQ



Until next time...

Jerry.