Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

해동용궁사

A seaside temple built on the East Sea cliffs. Descend 108 steps to reach a Guanyin shrine where waves crash against the rocks, making it Busan's most photogenic temple.

Haedong Yonggungsa sits on a cliff on the Gijang County coast in northeastern Busan. It was founded in 1376 by Naong, a noted monk of the late Goryeo period, and originally called Bomun Temple. It was destroyed during the Imjin War and rebuilt in the 1930s. In the 1970s, the abbot dreamed of White-Robed Guanyin ascending on a dragon, and the temple was renamed Yonggungsa (Dragon Palace Temple). Most Korean temples are built in the mountains, but Yonggungsa sits directly on a rocky coastline, making it one of the few seaside temples in Korea. From the entrance you pass the zodiac stone statues, a traffic-safety prayer tower, and the “son-granting Buddha,” where visitors rub its belly to pray for a child. Then you descend 108 steps, which represent the 108 worldly afflictions, and the view suddenly opens up. The Daeung Hall, the Dragon King Shrine, and the Medicine Buddha Hall are scattered across the wave-battered reefs, and a stone arch bridge links the shore to the temple. The sea-view sunrise platform overlooks the whole temple and the East Sea, and it's one of Busan's most classic photos. Above the temple stands a roughly 10-meter-tall Sea Guanyin Great Buddha gazing out over the ocean. Beside the hall is a golden pig statue, which is said to grant wishes if you touch it. On New Year's Day, the pre-dawn crowds gather here to watch Busan's first sunrise of the year. In April, the cherry blossoms and the period around Buddha's Birthday (the eighth day of the fourth lunar month), when colorful lanterns hang everywhere, are also beautiful. Entry is free, and the temple is open all day, from about 4 a.m. Shops outside sell fish cakes, roasted chestnuts, corn, and amulets. Getting there: from Haeundae Station on Subway Line 2, take exit 7 and ride Bus 181 for about 40 minutes to the Yonggungsa National Fisheries Science Institute stop, then walk about 10 minutes. From Haeundae, a taxi takes about 20 minutes. The Busan City Tour Bus red line also stops here. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. You can combine it with Gijang Market (a street of snow crab and king crab restaurants), Lotte Outlet East Busan, and Jukseong Cathedral for a full day. Notes: the steps are steep and crowded, and weekends in peak season are very busy. The sea rocks are slippery, so don't climb over the railings. Don't photograph worshippers inside the halls. Going for sunrise means an early start, and the winter sea wind is bitter.

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

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