- Address: 101-5, Girim-ro, Yanbuq-Mayon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- Phone: + 82-54-744-1689
- Website: golgulsa.com
The temple under the name of Kolgulsa is located near the city of Gyeongju . It's hard to get to it, because you need to overcome a steep climb up the mountain. The temple is very ancient. It was built, or rather, cut in the rock, by monks in the VI century.
What is interesting about the structure?
Colgulsa is different from any other temple. It was never repaired or rebuilt. Coming here, the visitor comes into contact with the real antiquity.
At the top is a statue of the Tathagata Buddha 4 meters high. A cave is cut around it in the rock. They are for prayer. The total number of caves was 12, but today there are only 7.
The Buddha has a calm smile on his face, his hair is gathered in a tail, the profile is clear, his eyes are narrowed, his nose is long and narrow. Unlike the three-dimensional face, the body is more flat. The neck and upper part of the thorax slightly deteriorated over time. In order to preserve the sculpture from the weather, in the cave of Gwanum, which is the largest sanctuary of the seven caves, they installed a glass ceiling. Along the side walls of the cave are exhibited many small Buddha statuettes. At first glance, the cave may seem like an ordinary sanctuary, but if you go inside and look closely, it becomes apparent that the ceiling and walls are also carved from stone.
Features of visit
The road to the temple is like climbing. It consists of many ladders. This way is very risky, although hundreds of thousands of people have already passed through it.
On top of the temple of Kolgulsa is a pink playground. Here are the services.
The revival of interest in the church of Kolgulsa is connected with the possibility of engaging in congress. It is not only martial art, but also the knowledge of oneself during meditation. Sonmudo can be dealt with not only by men, but also by women and children.
How to get there?
From Seoul, take the intercity bus to Gyeongju, then take the local bus to Route 14. From there, a pedestrian road leads to the Kolgulsa Temple.