A Visit to Jeondeungsa Temple in Ganghwa Island: History, Beauty, and a Little Parking Advice
During my trip to Ganghwa Island, I made sure to visit Jeondeungsa Temple.
Jeondeungsa Temple in Ganghwa Island has both an East Gate and a South Gate.
Parking lots are available at both the East and South Gates.
We ended up going to the East Gate… Why, you ask?
Was it because of Sigol Bapsang, a well-known restaurant near Jeondeungsa Temple's East Gate? Haha!
Anyway, on the map, C indicates the parking lot near the South Gate of Jeondeungsa Temple, while B and D are parking lots near the East Gate.
We parked in the lower parking lot near the East Gate restaurant, but if you park in the upper parking lot located at D,
you can walk less. Keep that in mind!
So, we parked at the lower parking lot near the East Gate and walked up the path towards Jeondeungsa Temple.
It was a paved cement road, but I felt bad for my mom... ㅠㅠ
We were able to see interesting trees with bumpy trunks,
but...
Then we saw this parking lot near Jeondeungsa... ㅠㅠ
There's a road from the lower East Gate parking lot that leads around to this upper lot,
making it possible to park here.
Parking fees are 3,000 won for small cars and 8,000 won for large cars, so keep that in mind.
Even if you park in the upper parking lot, you still have to walk from here.
There were also restaurants up there. The prices were even cheaper.
But I didn't try the food, so I can't comment on the taste. lol
And actually, there was a parking lot right in front of Jeongjoksanseong Fortress, but
ordinary folks like us can't park there.
Ganghwa Island's Jeondeungsa Temple is located inside Samnangseong Fortress, also known as Jeongjoksanseong Fortress.
A temple inside a mountain fortress is quite unique.
It's called Samnangseong Fortress because it was built by the three sons of Dangun, or Jeongjoksanseong Fortress because it's located on Ganghwa Island's Jeokjongsan Mountain.
This is where General Yang Heon-su and his troops defeated
about 160 French soldiers who were attacking through the East and South Gates
during the Byeonginyangyo (French invasion) in 1866 (the 3rd year of King Gojong's reign).
Enter through the East Gate of this Jeongjoksanseong Fortress, and
look back from the inside out.
The fortress gate blending with the trees is very pretty, so be sure to take a picture!
You can also take it later when you leave! lol
Jeondeungsa Temple pine trees.
There are many huge trees on the way to Jeondeungsa Temple, and also inside the temple.
This means it's a place with a long history.
Ganghwa Island's Jeondeungsa Temple was built during the reign of King Sosurim of the Goguryeo Dynasty,
making it one of the oldest temples in Korea!!
It was originally called Jinjongsa, but was renamed Jeondeungsa during the Goryeo Dynasty.
My mom always wants to take pictures when she sees pretty flowers.
There are so many flowers, it's a photo zone everywhere you look.
You have to walk a bit further on this path after entering Jeongjoksanseong Fortress.
In front of a huge protected tree...
And again, in front of flowers...
We finally arrived at Jeondeungsa Temple.
The first thing we saw on the left was a tea house.
Let's go to the tea house later~~
Looking at it now, the water-spraying sculpture in front of the tea house
was the Little Prince.
A temple with a Little Prince sculpture...
It seems out of place, but also strangely fitting...
Well, there's no rule that temples can only have Buddhist-related things!
Entering Ganghwa Island's Jeondeungsa Temple.
We visited around Buddha's Birthday,
so they had created this wonderful display in front of Daeungbojeon Hall.
Of course, we had to take a picture~~
Ganghwa Island Jeondeungsa Temple Daeungbojeon Hall.
Ah~~~ You can feel the age at a glance!
It wasn't very large, but even inside,
the ceiling patterns and the bracket sets?
Those intricately assembled wooden beams inside...
And the roof inside the building where the Buddha statues are enshrined.
I can't help but admire it.
Colorful lotus lanterns.
I'm so grateful for these explanations...
Without these signs, I would have just passed by without a second thought.
Ganghwa Jeondeungsa Temple Wooden Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Triad and Ten Kings Statues.
The three Buddhas in the middle of the picture are the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Triad, and
the figures around them are the Ten Kings.
The place where they are enshrined is Myeongbujeon Hall.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is a bodhisattva who vowed
not to attain Buddhahood until he has saved all sentient beings suffering in the underworld,
and the Ten Kings are
the ten kings who judge the sins of the dead in the underworld.
So, the place where Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is enshrined is called Myeongbujeon Hall.
I'm so glad to see these lovely sculptures
at Jeondeungsa Temple, which has a long history and tradition. lol
My mom even carefully brought home the 2025 Jeondeungsa Temple calendar...
She hung it up well when she got home!
Ganghwa Island's Jeondeungsa Temple is a very large temple located inside Jeongjoksanseong Fortress.
Next is the Jeondeungsa Temple Iron Bell, a treasure.
It's a Chinese bell made of cast iron from Chongmyeongsa Temple in Huai'an during the Song Dynasty in China.
During World War II, the Japanese army tried to make weapons out of it
and took it to the Bupyeong Arsenal in present-day Incheon,
but it was moved here after liberation. Oh no~~~ ㅠㅠ
It was almost melted down and turned into a weapon of war.
I was so curious about the Little Prince statues that appeared throughout Ganghwa Island's Jeondeungsa Temple,
and the artist's name was revealed.
It's a work by an artist who uses the world's first excavation technique,
carving the land upside down (in negative relief) to create a mold,
pouring a mixed material inside, and then digging it out once it hardens,
finishing the work with minimal touching up.
They create that kind of shape in the ground? How?
And another piece with no information at all:
A wood carving.
Another old tree. Another pretty flowering tree.
And another amazing thing I discovered.
A gallery inside the temple.
It's the Seoun Gallery inside Ganghwa Island's Jeondeungsa Temple.
Karmadais.
Lee Yu-ji Exhibition.
When you go inside, one side is like this, a temple,
but on the other wall, there are wonderful works of art.
I really liked the expression of the tangled threads
in the upper part of the artwork.
After touring Ganghwa Island's Jeondeungsa Temple, I
headed down towards the Jukrimdawon tea house that I saw at the entrance.
Behind Jeondeungsa Temple is the Jeongjoksan History Archive, where the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty were kept, but I missed it.
We had traveled far from Busan on the first day of our trip, so
we were tired... lol
The tea house is called Jukrimdawon.
Ganghwa Island Jeondeungsa Temple Cafe
Please refer to the Jukrimdawon menu.
The exterior atmosphere was nice,
and the interior atmosphere was also good.
Surprisingly, there were many young people.
Ganghwa Island's Jeondeungsa Temple, the oldest existing temple in Korea.
Although it's old, it doesn't look old,
and it even gives off a neat and sophisticated feel.
It's a famous place that is often visited by foreigners and is also known for its temple stay programs.
It's already a popular place!
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