Haeinsa Temple

This is a beautiful Buddhist temple. It is a very important temple in Korea. It was thankfully not bombed during the Korean War. Orders were given to a North Korean pilot to bomb the temple as it was believed UN troops were using the area, but fortunately the pilot knew the importance of this sacred temple and he only machine gunned along an outer perimeter and did not cause significant damage to the temple, but reported that he had bombed it. There is a river that runs along one side of the temple grounds. The tripitaka library is on the temple grounds. It is best to see the Tripitaka Library for information about the very famous library.

Visited this wonderful temple during our recent trip to South Korea. It is a very scenic 1 hour bus ride from the Seobu bus station (not from the Dongdaegu bus terminal) in the town of Daegu. There is a short uphill treck to this temple complex. Lucky for us, there were morning ceremonies taking place when we went, chanting, drum beating by a group of monks, and an aerial display of dogfight practice (with flares) by two sets of fighter jets up above our heads. This temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is extensive online writeup - that is a must read - regarding the storage of the Buddhist Tripitaka. Buddhist religious scrolls on wooden boards. Very impressive!! There is also a temple stay provision for those so inclined to immerse themselves in the natural serenity for a longer time. A full day trip (longer if possible) will do justice. Note - while one can pay for the bus trip to Haeinsa Temple by card at the Seobu Bus Station - the return trip has no such flexibility. The return trip is only payable by cash on the bus. Lucky for me, there is an ATM that accepts global cards on the temple premises - where i had withdrawn some cash, prior to our return.

Each and every Buddhist shrine in South Korea makes a stunning impression and literally transports you to a different dimension. Ancient Zen (Seon) monasteries are usually located in the mountains - in remote secluded areas, which are hard to access. I might have never reached Haeinsa if there hadn't been a cultural program called “Temple stay”, which exists for over fifteen years. Technically, it gives everyone an opportunity to try to live monastic lifestyle for a few days. Philosophically, it is a chance to learn about your true self, talk to your inner self. Haeinsa temple, situated in the Gaya mountains, often embraced with fog, is well-known for being home to "Tripitaka Koreana" - a complete collection of the Buddhist scriptures carved on more than 80,000 wooden blocks. It was here, where I did my "Temple stay". Once you sign up for the program, you have to follow a set routine. First 24 hours at the monastery might seem to pass slowly in the beginning, but soon they actually fly. A monk's day starts at 3.30 am with the tolling of a majestic bell. Visitors gather at the main hall for the morning ritual. The sound of the throbbing Dharma drum reverberates and wakes up even peaceful mountain peaks. There is a morning practice of 108 prostrations and one hour for meditation before having monastic meals at 6 am. There is a prayer at 10 am, lunch at 12 noon, dinner at 5 pm and night ritual at 6 pm. The rest of the hours can be spent walking around the back of the mountain, performing Zen meditation, or having conversations with monks. Along with the other participants I was invited for teatime with a monk. "At the temple, I hope, you will learn wisdom and life skills rather than intellectual knowledge about Buddhism", - he said.

4,000 won to enter with the car. Beautiful temple with a lot of different parts. You can see the archives via the holes in the wall but it's amazing to see. I parked just after the gate and did the 1,5 hours trek. It's really pretty and there is more to see if you are ready to go around like a temple on top of another mountain that are worse seeing.

Unforgettable experience with the Templestay program in this temple, a great way to evade from this crazy world for a day. The proposed activities were really interesting to learn about bouddhism, our guide was kind and dedicated, accomodations are confortable and clean, good food (if you like vegetarian Korean cuisine). It's not easy to understand how to get there, here the timetable as of March 2025 for the buses from Daegu Seogu bus terminal, which is about 30/40 minutes by subway from Dongdaegu KTX train station.

Breath-taking, peaceful, tranquil place. The temple is large and beautiful. But what makes it the top place in Korea are hills and misty forrests around. You can get here by bus from Seobu Bus Terminal (the same metro line as the KTX train station) for 8900 won. It takes around 90 minutes. Taxi costs around 70000 won and takes around 70 minutes directly from KTX terminal. There's one 3000 toll on the way.

It’s a massive temple with an amazing UNESCO world heritage. Our guide monk made the concept of Buddhism and the temple’s history very easy to understand. We were also accompanied by a full-time English interpreter, who was exceptionally friendly and helpful. While reaching the location can be quite challenging without a car, but still worth a visit for a temple stay if you’re spending quite a long time in Korea.

I stayed this temple for 3 days due to meditation program. It's bit far from Seoul, almost 5 hours and half. But the nature, heritage, programs, monk, most being in this temple was quite impressive and beautiful, full of joy even include almost people I met. I totally recommend to stay this temple who seeing my review.