For anyone visiting South Korea for the first time, you may zoom through the country’s famous Incheon airport straight to the popular epicenter of Seoul. However, many don’t know that the city of Incheon has a lot of great things to explore as well! As far as things to do in Incheon, many tourist websites focus on the glitzy, modern attractions like the Paradise City Spa. Those experiences are great too but I like to share some of the less touristy things to do in South Korea. Heungryunsa Temple is one of my favorite lesser known Buddhist temples near Seoul. It makes for a lovely, quiet day trip from Seoul and a chance to see a bit of Korea off the beaten path.
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How to Get to Heungryunsa
The closest subway stop near Heungryunsa is Songdo station on the Suin Bundang Line. From there you can find a number of local buses southbound to the base of Cheongnyang mountain on which the temple sits. It’s a 15 – 20 minute walk up the mountain to Heungryunsa. A reminder to bring sturdy shoes and some comfortable insoles for Korea’s very hilly terrain.
A Gold Adorned Temple
Korean buddhist temples are typically complexes of multiple buildings rather than a single structure. This makes for a wonderful atmosphere to explore the traditional architecture while being out in the fresh air. Having visited many Korean temples previously, I found Heungryunsa to have much more gold and bronze details compared to the dominant greens and browns I saw in other temples. This gave it a particularly gorgeous dramatic appearance.
Many travelers may be drawn to Korea for it’s nightlife and fast paced urban scene. Visitors should make sure to experience South Korea’s rich traditional culture as well. Amidst the beautiful chanting of the monks and the fragrant wafts of incense, you can enjoy a slower pace of travel.
There were so many beautiful details and figures to take in, from the rushing fountain, to the bright laughing Buddha statue to the large gold bell. All contrasting with the dark evergreen trees; it was a vivid, colorful sight. At least during my visit, it was so pleasantly uncrowded unlike many of the popular sites in Seoul. It’s not only fun to find hidden gems when traveling; I believe it’s an ethical practice to intentionally seek out non-touristy areas to ease overcrowding.
History of Heungryunsa
Heungryunsa’s origins date back to the 1300’s when the original temple was named Cheongnyangsa. Sadly, as with many historic Korean sites, it was destroyed by a Japanese invasion during the late 1500’s. It wasn’t until the 1920’s or 30’s (sources vary) that the temple was rebuilt. It was then, not until the 1960’s that it attained its present day name. South Korea has quite a harrowing history of overcoming colonization and rebuilding its historic sites.
For those wanting an immersive, educational experience of what life as a Buddhist monk is like, Heungryunsa offers a “Temple Stay”: a brief insight into the daily life at a Buddhist Temple including meditation and tending to the temple grounds. Temple Stay programs are quite popular at the most famous temples in Seoul as well.
The View Over Incheon
The very mountainous terrain of Korea has no shortage of amazing views. The view over Incheon combined with the serene atmosphere of this temple makes for such a special experience. You can see all the way out to the sea where you can find lovely places in Incheon by the water to enjoy.
A visit to Heungryunsa is a truly calming, beautiful experience in Incheon. For me, visiting the many historic temples is one of the best free things to do in South Korea. Even if you only have a long layover in Incheon’s famous airport, maybe you can make a little time to swing by this majestic golden temple.
Thank you so much for reading and viewing! If you are inspired to travel to this beautiful country, make sure you check out my packing list for South Korea for some great travel essentials. If you found this post enriching, you can save or share it through the icons below. Happy traveling!
