Bulguksa and Seokguram Grotto

I had known of the Buddha in the Seokguram Grotto for a long time. I've seen pictures of it and it was indeed a very beautiful Buddha. I knew that if I ever go to South Korean, I would like to go see it.

Since Bulguksa was another popular temple enroute to Seokguram, it was only natural that I visited it was well.

It turned out that Bulguksa was quite a nice temple while Seokguram was a little of an anit-climax.

I had not known that Bulguksa was actually a UNESCO heritage site as well.

It is a beautiful temple complex. The temple halls are similar to other temples. What I like are the beautiful murals on the shrine walls.

Bulguksa is a UNESCO heritage site.

Main entrance of the temple. It actually means Temple of the Buddha Land

Pine tree in the temple.

Gates of the Heavenly Kings

These stairs are the distinguishing features of this temple is frequently shown in photographs on brochures.

The main shrine. The Buddha statue was not particularly impressive. I like the background murals more.

According to this plaque, there are 33 temples of pilgrimage. Bulguksa temple number 23.

Stone stupa in the backyard. Korean Buddhists like to stack stones into a stupa similar to the Tibetan practice.

A beautiful door in the temple

Another shrine hall in the temple

I was particularly taken by the image of the Avalokiteshvara in the Kuanyin Hall at the back of the temple. This is right at the back and the highest shrine hall within the temple complex. You will miss this if you do not go there. 

The shrine is very simple and uncluttered. There was only a statue of the Bodhisattva, with a pair of candles and a few offerings. While Kuanyin is mostly depicted in feminine form in China, I found both masculine and feminine forms in Korea. In Bulguksa, both the statue and the painted image are in masculine form and very stately and majestic. The statue was in the image of a slender and fit princely man. The painted image is the manifestation of the Bodhisattva with a thousand arms and eyes. 

Kuanyin Hall

The image of Avalokiteshvara (Kuanyin).

From Bulguksa, I took a bus to Seokguram temple and it was 20 min journey up a winding hill road. It is possible to trek from Bulguksa to Seokguram. Indeed, I saw many students doing that. This appears to be a popular trekking trail for there are many hostels near Bulguksa and there was bus loads of students when I was there.

The Seokguram grotto turned out to be much smaller than I expected. I can't see the exterior for it is under repairs. I had thought I had to walk into a tunnel to get into the grotto to see the Buddha statue. But it turns out that the Buddha statue is just a few meters from the entrance. It is now sealed with a glass panel to protect the statue. So you can't go into the grotto and walk around the Buddha statue nor see the wall carvings. The Buddha status is a very unique place of art nonetheless.

A giant panel showing the statue of the Buddha inside the grotto. Photography not allowed inside.

A cross section plan of the grotto.

Lanterns at the temple

The bell tower of the temple is by the car park, quite a distance away of the grotto.

You can sound the bell for a donation of 1000W. Yes, I did it too.

Start of autumn...

Bulguksa and Seokguram temple are important destinations for those who go to Gyeongju. Both are UNESCO heritage sites with a rich history as well as cultural, religious and artistic importance. It is worth a day trip.

Logistics:

1. Take bus 10 or 11 to Bulguksa.

2. There is a tourist information booth and you can ask them about the bus to Seokguram and get brochures about the temples. The staff speaks English. I suggest visiting Bulguksa first before heading to Seokguram.

3. To get to Seokguram, take bus 12 from the bus stop that is directly opposite the tourist information booth. The bus leaves on the 40th minute of every hour. It takes 20 minutes to reach there.

4. The bus back to Bulguksa from Seokguram leaves on the hour. One hour is really more than enough as there isn't very much to see at Seokguram.

5. To get back to Gyeongju town, take the bus from the bus stop when you get off when you come to Bulguksa from Gyeongju. The bus is a loop service. If you are not sure, check with the information booth.

6. The bus is a loop service and the return route is different which confused me at first. Bus 10 stops by the Gyeongju National museum on the way back to Gyeongju and many people got off there to visit the museum. From the museum you can take bus back to town, or walk to the Anapji Pond or the Cheomseongdae, They are actually not too far away.

If you pay by cash, all bus trips were 1500W.