Photo Spot Summary
Country: South Korea
Category: Travel
City: Hapcheon-gun
GPS Latitude: 35.801178
GPS Longitude: 128.098099
Directions
Starting from Seoul, South Korea. Head to the South Gyeongsang Province. Once you get to the Hapcheon township, there will be abundant signs pointing towards the temple. It is a very popular spot.
Photo Spot Details
This temple houses the famed Tripitaka Koreana, which is a collection of Buddhist scripture carved onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century. It is the world’s oldest and most comprehensive surviving version of the Buddhist canon carved in Traditional Chinese. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
One thing people tend to forget is that despite its popularity, this is a place of worship. Due decorum is expected. Tripods are allowed outside any buildings but will not be allowed inside any structure for obvious reasons.
A great time to visit is during late April and early May, which is when the Buddha’s birth celebration is in full swing. Incidentally the photos here were taking during that time. One bad news: they restricted viewing the actual Tripitaka Koreana to any tourist because someone tried to set fire to the monuments. I don’t know why but way to ruin it for the rest of us.
Near the temple is the Hapcheon Lake. It is said that many literary genius were inspired by the grandeur of this lake.
