Like a magnet pulling in tourists from all corners of the world including the local Koreans, visitors are attracted by its spectacular scenery and mesmerizing view regardless of the season. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, 400km² Seoraksan National Park, is the poster boy for the Korea tourism for its amazing mountain range scenery.
Like many others, if you have visited South Korea before, chances are you have already been to Seoraksan. Thousands have visited it and many have walked some of the many trails but few have spent a night in the park. The park has strict rules on overnight stay and the number is under control, in order to protect and preserved the beauty and prevent damages.
One of the ways to enjoy a night in the park is to stay in one of the many temples in the Seoraksan. And one of the temples that offer a “TempleStay” program is Sinheungsa Temple which is the gateway to the famous Ulsanbawi Rock.
Sinheungsa has its origin in the year 652, during the Shilla Kingdom. It was built at the site of the now Kengsington Hotel but was burnt down in 698. Rebuild 3 years later at the Nuenginam Hermitage and enjoy 1,000 years of prosperity until 1,642 when it was once again destroyed by fire. But the determination of Venerable Yeongseo, Venerable Hyewon and Venerable Yeonok to rebuild the temple and with fervent prayer, a silver-haired god appeared in their dream, pointing to the current temple ground and said, “If you build a temple here, there will be no damage from the three major disasters of fire, flood, or storms.” And the Sinheungsa Temple was built. Sinheungsa means “God (Sin) told it will prosper (heung) sa (temple)
The temple is under the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and is the main temple in the Order 3rd District. It also houses the Tongil Baebul (Unification Buddha; 统一大佛), a symbol of the hope of Koreans for the unification of the North and South. At 14.6m high, it is the world largest seated bronze Buddha statue.
With the Mt Seorak as the backdrop and the majestic Sinheungsa temple, your stay in the historical temple will be undoubted, “special”. Sinheungsa TempleStay offers not just a unique cultural experience but for a nature lover like you, the exciting and scenic hiking trails will get you physically, mentally and culturally recharge!SANL is has a confirm trip to Seoraksan and in the Inje mountains trails from the 21 to 27 Sept 2019. You can learn more of the trip here >>http://bit.ly/2FFdVqT
Singapore Adventurous & Nature-Lovers 