Jogyesa Temple
조계사
Head temple of the Jogye Order, Korea's largest Buddhist order, in central Seoul. The main hall, an ancient white pine, and the courtyard full of lotus lanterns around Buddha's Birthday are spectacular.
Jogyesa is the head temple of the Jogye Order, Korea's Buddhist order, and the most important temple in central Seoul. It sits between Insa-dong and Gwanghwamun. The Daeungjeon (Main Hall) is grand, and the front courtyard has a roughly 500-year-old scholar tree and a white pine designated as a natural monument. Every year before Buddha's Birthday (the eighth day of the fourth lunar month), during the Lotus Lantern Festival, thousands of colorful lotus lanterns hang over the temple, alongside a lantern parade in Jongno. The Lotus Lantern Festival is inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. There is also a chrysanthemum exhibition in autumn. Entry is free, and the temple is open all day. Across the street, the Memorial Museum of Korean Buddhist History and Culture offers temple stay reservations. Anguk Station (Subway Line 3) or Jonggak Station (Subway Line 1) is about a 5-minute walk away.
Opening hours
All day (free for mainland China visitors)
Nearby sights
- Insadong
- MMCA Seoul
- Gwanghwamun Square & Cheonggyecheon
- Gyeongbokgung Palace
- Ikseon-dong Hanok Street
- Bukchon Hanok Village
- Deoksugung Palace & Stonewall Road
- Myeongdong