A Peaceful Retreat in the Heart of Seoul: Jogyesa Temple's Lotus Flower Exhibition
Visited on a Sunday morning, August 17th, 2025.
You don't have to travel far to find a representative piece of Korea in the heart of Seoul. Jogyesa Temple, the main temple of the Jogye Order, is located in Jongno.
Regardless of your religious beliefs, anyone can visit and take a break, purify their mind in peace, and simply relax for a while. Jogyesa Temple is just such a place. Every year in July and August, they hold a lotus flower exhibition, and this year's exhibition is quite special. Not only lotuses, but also Canna lilies and hydrangea trees are on display. I even spotted water daffodils. Oh, and the Iljumun Gate has finally been fully restored! After removing the building on one side of the gate, the entrance to the temple feels much more open and refreshing.
This year marks the 11th Jogyesa Lotus Flower Exhibition. I've never really taken the time to learn about Jogyesa properly, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to do so. It's said that Jogyesa Temple was originally founded in 1395, during the 4th year of King Taejo of the Joseon Dynasty.
However, the actual beginning of Jogyesa as we know it today dates back to 1910, during the Japanese colonial period. It was founded as Gakhwangsa Temple with donations from monks.
Between 1937 and 1938, it was moved to its current location and initially named Taegosa Temple. In 1954, with the Buddhist purification movement, it was renamed Jogyesa Temple, which it remains to this day. The main hall, Daeungjeon, was also built during this time. I had always thought it was an ancient temple with a thousand-year history, but that's not the case!
Uniquely, this year's exhibition also features Canna lilies. Even if they aren't lotuses, they add a nice touch to the display. The biggest advantage of Jogyesa is that it's located in the heart of the city and always open, so anyone, both locals and foreigners, can visit at any time.
The lotuses are large, mostly red rather than white. Although they aren't as vibrant as the lotuses in full bloom during the peak of summer, there are still plenty of flowers to enjoy.
These are called water Canna lilies, and they aren't particularly pretty, are they? They're tall and lanky, with tiny flowers!
These are water daffodils, and they're blooming prettily here and there, greeting visitors with a bright smile. I like that you can see various flowers together, not just lotuses.
I also spotted white water hibiscus flowers. It seems they've put together a collection of flowers that can grow in water.
I also see water lilies...
There are many Canna lilies. I guess that means there are fewer lotus flowers relatively since they would have occupied those spots. But even so, there are plenty of lotuses to see. These beautiful lotuses are still blooming in early autumn. In fact, you can usually see one or two lotus flowers blooming in large ponds until the end of August or even early September.
Occasionally, you can spot white lotuses among the red ones, but only a very few. The season for white lotuses seems to be over, as they bloom earlier than the red ones. So, you'll only see a handful of white lotuses, and mostly red ones.
Looking at this, you can see that temples are also undergoing many changes. The temples of the past were quiet, solemn, reverent, and a little scary... But nowadays, they're creating an atmosphere that's accessible to young people, trying hard to emphasize friendliness, as if to say that temples aren't like that anymore.
It seems they're holding a Sunday service. Even though it's early, there are many worshippers.
The lotus festival is said to be in August, so I guess it will last for the entire month. The lotuses are still blooming. Of course, the water Canna lilies, water daffodils, and water hibiscus flowers are also still blooming beautifully, so you'll be able to see these beautiful flowers along with the lotuses for the time being.
Occasionally, you can see these yellow double lotus flowers. I also saw them at Bongeunsa Temple in COEX last time. They're very rare in regular ponds, but I'm seeing them here at Jogyesa Temple.
Being a weekend, many people were visiting Jogyesa Temple early in the morning. In particular, many foreigners came to spend meaningful time enjoying the beautiful lotus flowers. I saw many foreign families taking commemorative photos together. Temples deep in the mountains have their own charm, but I also like the accessibility of temples in the city.
Today, I captured various aspects of the 2025 Jogyesa Lotus Flower Exhibition. I hope you have a restful weekend and recharge!
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