[사찰 리뷰] Praying for my son to pass the college entrance exam at Jingwansa Temple, a thousand-year-old temple in Eunpyeong-gu > Culture & Event Review

[리뷰타임스=김우선 기자] The general public may not know this, but there are many famous temples in Seoul. Bongeunsa Temple and Jogyesa Temple are the most well-known temples located in downtown Seoul, while Gilsangsa Temple, Doseonsa Temple, Bongwonsa Temple, and Hwagyesa Temple are famous temples in Seoul. There is a temple known as one of the four major temples near Seoul. There is Bulamsa Temple to the east, Jingwansa Temple to the west, Sammaksa Temple to the south, and Seunggasa Temple to the north.

I went to the temple often this year. This is because my son has a college entrance exam. I visited temples across the country that were said to be good for prayer whenever I had time. This must be the heart of all parents. Last weekend, I went to Jingwansa Temple in Eunpyeong-gu. Jingwansa Temple was the first temple I visited. Hana High School is so famous that I have passed by it several times, but this is my first time entering Jingwansa Temple. The neighborhood I visited after a few years had a majestic Eunpyeong-gu Hanok Village at the entrance, reminiscent of Sangjeon Byeokhae.

A hanok village has been built to the left and right of the road with the stone sign of Jingwansa Temple across from Hana High School. This is not a Hanok village for show; people actually live here. A Hanok village was created in the form of a residential complex and sold like luxury villas. On both sides of the road, you can see convenience stores, coffee shops, and restaurants in hanok houses.

To go to Jingwansa Temple, you have to park, but only believers can park in the parking lot inside Jingwansa Temple. The general public must use the Korean culture public parking lot at the entrance of Jingwansa Temple. It is free for less than 30 minutes, 500 won per 30 minutes for less than 2 hours, and 1,000 won per 15 minutes for more than 2 hours, which is very cheap.

When you park your car at the Hanhwa Public Parking Lot, you come across Iljumun Gate, which is written as Samgaksan Jingwansa Temple. Samgaksan Mountain is another name for Bukhansan Mountain and refers to the three peaks of Baekundae, Insubong Peak, and Mangyeongbong Peak. It is said that in the old days, it was called Samgaksan Mountain rather than Bukhansan Mountain.

Jingwansa Temple has an anecdote left behind in modern history. It is also famous that it was the infiltration route for Kim Shin-jo’s armed communist party during the January 21, 1968 incident. It is said that 31 armed communists broke through the barbed wire fence of the cease-fire line and came down through Mt. Papyeong and Mt. Nogo at a speed of 10 km per hour, but they stopped when they came across a temple called Jingwansa Temple. This is because there was no temple called Jingwansa Temple when I was educated before infiltration. There is an anecdote that the armed communists were slow to return because of Jingwansa Temple, so they were eventually discovered and killed.

There is a theory that Jingwansa Temple was first built during the reign of Queen Jindeok of the Silla Dynasty as a branch temple of Jogyesa Temple, but the more likely theory is that it began in the early Goryeo Dynasty as a hermitage named Sinhyeolsa Temple, where a monk named Jingwan practiced alone. Afterwards, it developed into a national temple where successive kings such as Seonjong, Sukjong, and Yejong visited and donated various items. After entering the modern era, it was a base temple for the anti-Japanese independence movement, and during the dismantlement and restoration of Chilseonggak in 2009, it received attention when the Taegeukgi wrapped in a wrapping cloth with 19 anti-Japanese newspapers, including the Independence Newspaper, was discovered.

This Taegeukgi is a Japanese flag with the four trigrams and Taegeuk painted over with ink. It is presumed to have been produced by the Provisional Government in Shanghai of the Republic of Korea and used during the March 1st Movement. It was designated as a treasure in 2021 because it is the first Taegeukgi from the Japanese colonial period discovered in a temple and the only Taegeukgi painted on top of the Japanese flag.

After passing through Iljumun Gate, Geungnakgyo Bridge, and Haetalmun Gate, you will see Amitabha Buddha carved into a rock on your left. There are numerous coins placed on top of Amitabha Buddha. If you pass Amitabha Buddha and climb along the valley to the right, you will find a cafe called Yeonjiwon, which is made of thatched roofs. Jingwansa Temple is famous as a rare nun temple, and perhaps because of its nuns, it is considered the home of Korean temple food. So, there is a mountain temple food research center within Jingwansa Temple, and it is said that foreign chefs come here to study Korean temple food.

Among temple foods, tofu is famous, and Jingwansa Temple is said to have been a temple that has been making tofu since the Joseon Dynasty. President Biden’s first lady, Jill Biden, is also famous for stopping by here to experience temple food. So, at Jingwansa Temple, you can see an incredibly large crock pot that cannot be found in other temples. Perhaps because it is famous for temple food, the signature jujube tea drunk at Yeonjiwon Cafe remains the strongest tasting jujube tea I have ever drunk. I also wanted to try sweet red bean porridge, but since it was before lunch, I decided to wait until next time.

There is a temple stay across the Sesim Bridge that crosses the valley across from the cafe. Temple stay is an area off-limits to the general public. Below, in an open space between pine trees, there is a five-story stone pagoda that is said to have been built by the monk Jingwan (it is not recorded in the records).

Now, let’s enter the grounds of Jingwansa Temple. If you go under Hongjeru, which has colorful lanterns, the main hall appears at the top of the stairs. Next to Daeungjeon is Myeongjeon Hall, which enshrines Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and next to it are Nahanjeon Hall, Chilseonggak Hall, where the Taegeukgi was discovered, and Dokseongjeon Hall. To the left of Daeungjeon is Nagawon, and in front of it is Donggak with a temple bell hanging. My wife prayed 108 times at Daeungjeon for my son’s college entrance exam, and I prayed at Nahanjeon, where one wish will be granted.

If you enter next to Nagawon next to Daeungjeon, you will see a jar with dozens of jars lined up, and a building called Hyanghyangdang next to it. It is said that when foreign VIPs come to the mountain temple food experience center, they usually eat here. Next to it is Haewooso, and what is unique is that you have to change into indoor shoes when entering Haewooso.

Although it is a temple located in Seoul, it feels small yet tightly packed. This concludes the 108-fold temple tour for my son’s college entrance exam this year. It remains to be seen how effective 108 times will be.