Gulgulsa Temple

Gulgulsa Temple

Built on the rocky cliffs at the foot of Mount Hanyang, Gulgulsa Temple is the only cave temple in South Korea. In the 6th century, Indian monks such as Master Gwangyu constructed the temple based on their own architectural style and carved a rock-carved seated Buddha on the cliff face. At the same time, the monks dug twelve caves around the temple to enshrine Buddhist statues, serving as dharma halls. Today, only seven of these dharma caves remain. The rock-carved seated Buddha atop the temple stands 4 meters tall and is distinctly in the Silla style, making it the most noteworthy attraction at Gulgulsa Temple and designated as Korean National Treasure No. 581. The seated Buddha features a gentle smile, tied-up hair, narrow eyes, thin lips, and a long, slender nose. To protect this designated National Treasure, a glass shield has been installed above the Buddha to guard against strong winds and rain. The largest of the seven caves, the Guanyin Cave, primarily houses a statue of Guanyin, with 108 smaller statues of the Bodhisattva of Compassion displayed along the cave’s front wall. The steep and rugged Gulgulsa Temple offers visitors unexpected surprises; although the journey from the One-Pillar Gate to the top is not easy, the unique scenery more than compensates for the effort.

Transportation: Take bus No. 100 or 150 from Gyeongju Train Station or Gyeongju Bus Terminal to Andong Intersection (approximately 1 hour), then walk to Gulgulsa Temple (about 30 minutes). Alternatively, take a taxi from Gyeongju Train Station or Gyeongju Bus Terminal, which takes about 50 minutes.

Details: Opening Hours: 24 hours / Phone: Tourist Information Hotline +82-54-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) / Gulgulsa Temple +82-54-745-0246 (Korean) / Website: www.golgulsa.com (Korean, English)

Location: 304, Andong-ri, Yangbuk-myeon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Opening Hours: 24 hours

Gyeongju, South Korea