Quinsa, a large and remote temple complex in North Chungcheong Province, is the headquarter of Cheontae School of Buddhism (Tiantai Zong in Chinese) which was once the largest and most powerful of Korea's 18 Buddhist Schools. The temple was re-established in 1945 by Sangwol Wongak who was a leading spirit in recent Korean Buddhism. Quinsa now commands a respectable of 2 million followers.
There is a direct express bus from Danyang town hourly but it was quite a hike uphill from bus terminal to the top. The 30 minutes' bus ride in fact was an enjoyable scenic journey.
The Temple complex is nested inside a narrow valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Four Heavenly Kings Gate marks the starting point of the Temple.
Mountain sides burst into dramatic fall colors in October.
Quinsa follows Mahayana Buddhism specially focus on Buddha's Teaching in The Lotus Sutra emphasizing that all experiences in the sensory are expressions of Dharma, containing the key to enlightenment.
The 5-layers Stupa merged into Autumn foliage and became a piece of beautiful picture.
There are now 50 buildings in the temple complex for various purposes and different functions . All buildings look dazzling, shinning and colorful. The blue logo at the building is a significant sign of Cheontae Sect of Buddhism.
The exploration to this large area of temple complex has to be covered by foot. It requires about 3-4 hours.
Visitors are welcomed to participate in all sorts of activities to help in temple's up-keeping work like preparing kimchi, washing dishes or even hoeing rice field. Communication is in Korean only.
Original buildings were actually burnt down during Korea War. Most of the present concrete buildings with bright decoration were reconstructed in year 1966 .
All places are surrounded and covered by thick forest of trees which turn into bushes of color in Autumn.
Temple runs religious services and lectures but all in Korean language.
There are large dormitories on site to accommodate pilgrims as long as they registered in the reception but again all in Korean language.
Quinsa complex is able to accommodate about 10,000 devotees to discipline themselves as monks at one time.
Right thought, right conduct and right speech sign is erected in front of one of the hall.
There is a trail of concrete steps at the right hand side, leading off to the hall that house a great status of Sangwol Wongak, the founder of Temple. This is also the direction to continue the hike to Sobaeksan of about 1400 at height.
The Enchanting Light Hall.
The meditation hall and Bodhisattva Guan Yin's Hall.
The drum pavilion.
The main shrine hall where daily chanting lead by monks, is practiced.
The adorned altar and the typical Cheontae Temples' colorful details at Main Shrine of The Law Building Hall.
The temple holds Lotus Sutra as the peak of Buddha's teaching, that all things are empty without essential reality, that all things have a provisional reality and, that all things are both absolutely unreal and provisionally real at once.
Living quarters of monks with phrases of Lotus Sutra gold gilded outside the room along the corridor.
Huge clay pots of Kimchi are located on every possible available surface at the storehouses in Central Courtyard.
Its 4-storey Five Contemplations Dining Hall opposite Kimachi Store houses has a capacity to serve 10,000 people. The temple provides free simple vegetarian meals every day from 11.30am to 1.30 pm. Wood for burning fire are well stored at one corner.
We had a simple but very delicious home-cooked rice noodle soup at one of the shop at Tourists Village downhill. The little shop also sell many interesting local herbs obtainable from the nearby mountain.
I was testing Dondongju outside the shop with our driver, which is a fermented milky peach color rice wine. It looked and smelled quite unappetizing, taste little bit unusual but good and really refreshing. The plastic pet bottle with freezing ice water was to keep the wine chilled. It was sold in cup at site like this and obtainable in shops in white container.
The precious huge size "linzhi" and one of the popular herb that used to make natural jelly cake.
Ondal Open Studio, short distance away from Quinsa, was the setting of TV show "Yeongaesomun", named after a general from Gogurygo Dynasty (36-668). The set replicated Gogurygo and China basing on non-historical significance.
Ondal was the name of famous general in Goguryeo Dynasty. Pabo Ondal, a jester in the imperial court was a neighbor idiot who kids made fun off. He broke through Korea's caste system and married Princess Pyeonggang and she made him into a wise and brave military general.
A taste of ancient streets, buildings and fortress.
The entrance hall in front of palace and the living quarter of princess.
A replica of palace and significant dragon pillars.
The throne and criminal punishment prop. Our driver was demonstrating the ancient way of punishment.
Statue of actors in the ancient costume and ancient sedan chair which was an enclosed chair for one passenger carried on poles by two persons. It was an important carriage in olden China
Chinese poem at the pillars of Palace - Ancient Korean were greatly influenced by Chinese. They widely used Chinese character, same type of carriage as well as almost similar kind of dressing.
Replica of Chinese living quarter.
The beautiful Chinese Garden with little pond appears as if a calligraphy painting of Chinese.
The ancient royal horse cart.
The symbol plague of royal kingdom and royal building complex.
Yeongchunmyeon belonged to Gogurye Kingdom and it was the place where war for territory occupation between Sila Kingdom took part.
The drum house.
The ancient carriage cart and status of General Odal on horse back.
Ondal Sanseong Fortress, Foretree, the remains and the love legend of Fool General and Princess attract many tourists to this site every year. Huge poster of TV series show Yeongaesomun at the square outside the studio site.
Little shops and food store outside the Ondal Open Studio. Th little hand-made red bean cake sold at US$1 for 5 was so delicious.
Ondal Cave was named after The General Pabo Ondal. It has a huge opening to the spacious beauty. Safety helmets were provided at the entrance as some internal passageway are rather cramped that we had to crouch low to go through it. Like other caves, the twisting and winding caverns at Ondal Cave was also outfitted with metal walkways and light. There are ponds and flows of water inside the cave.
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