Site of Gameunsa Temple

Site of Gameunsa Temple

Gameunsa Temple is a temple built by King Munmu of Silla [Silla / 57 BC–AD 935], who unified the Three Kingdoms [7th century later period, when Silla defeated Baekje and Goguryeo to unify the peninsula and establish a single nation]. Now, apart from two stone pagodas that stand 13.4 meters high, everything else has been burned down. Gameunsa was initiated by King Munmu to enlist the protection of the Buddha in driving away invasions by Japanese pirates. However, King Munmu passed away before seeing the completion of the temple. In his will, he requested to be buried 500 meters away from Gameunsa, in the East Sea, hoping that after his death he would transform into a dragon in the East Sea to continue protecting the nation. Therefore, King Munmu was given a water burial in the East Sea near Gameunsa. The temple was named Gameunsa [Temple of Gratitude] in AD 682 upon its completion by his son, King Sinmun [King Sinmun, reigned AD 681–692], in gratitude for his father’s legacy. The east and west pagodas of Gameunsa are of the same scale and structure, and have been designated as National Treasure No. 112. Among Korean pagodas, these stone pagodas built in the early Unified Silla period are outstanding in both their majestic and solemn presence and their structural stability. These two pagodas, standing 13.4 meters tall, are the largest and most solid three-story stone pagodas from the Silla period, and are considered precious national treasures.

Transportation: Take city bus No. 150 bound for Yangnam from the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal. Get off at Gameunsa (every 40 minutes, 40-minute ride). It takes just 3 minutes to walk from the bus terminal parking lot to Gameunsa. *City Bus No. 150: First departure – 6:00 AM / Last departure – 10:00 PM / Travel time – 40–50 minutes

Details: 1. Inquiries: Gyeongju Station Tourist Information Center +82-54-772-3843 (Korean/English/Chinese/Japanese) 2. Service Hours: 24 hours 3. Closed: Never 4. Admission Fee: Free

Location: 55-1, Yongdang-ri, Yangbuk-myeon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Opening Hours: 24 hours

Gyeongju, South Korea