| Bulam-san / Cheonbo-san East Cheonbo-sa |
| Courtyard in front of the Main Hall |
East Cheonbo-sa [Heavenly Treasure Temple] is in Namyangju City, very close to its
borders with Seoul and Guri City. It occupies a dramatic position up against the high
east-facing cliff-slope of Cheonbo-san [Heavenly Treasure Mountain], the southern
subsidiary of Bulam-san. A long narrow paved-road leads in from upper Bulam-dong.
borders with Seoul and Guri City. It occupies a dramatic position up against the high
east-facing cliff-slope of Cheonbo-san [Heavenly Treasure Mountain], the southern
subsidiary of Bulam-san. A long narrow paved-road leads in from upper Bulam-dong.
They claim that a temple was founded here in the 800s (late Shilla Dynasty, same time as
neighboring Bulam-sa), but there seems little evidence for it. Such an amazing location
may well have been a Shamanic Sanshin-venerating site since ancient times. This
current temple was built in the 1980s, and the stone carvings done in 2000.
neighboring Bulam-sa), but there seems little evidence for it. Such an amazing location
may well have been a Shamanic Sanshin-venerating site since ancient times. This
current temple was built in the 1980s, and the stone carvings done in 2000.
This old signboard Cheonbo-san Cheonbo-sa hangs over the garage.
| it's a very pleasant place with friendly residents and Jogye Order monks |
| multiple bronze Buddhas inside the Main Hall |
| view out east from the courtyard |
| charming bell / bodhisattva / wish-making shrine |
| Another unusual modern feature -- stone tigers guard the Main Hall. Tigers are very popular in Korea, indeed the primary national folk-symbol, but not considered as "Buddhist" animals... |
| Yong-wang-gak |
| East Cheonbo-sa's Yong-wang-gak [Dragon-King Shrine] is a remarkable faux-stone-cave with large granite carvings to symbolize and venerate this key deity of the hydrological cycle and his acolytes. |
