WORLD HERITAGE / HAEINSA TEMPLE

# Haeinsa Temple #

<History of Haeinsa Temple>
Haeinsa was built by two priests, Sun'ung and Ijong in the third year of King Aejang(800 - 809) of Shilla. During the Choson dynasty the temple underwent many fires and subsequent reconstructions. The name of the temple was derived from the Garlandsutra. The temple was originally built to propagate the philosophy and thought contained in the Avatamsaka-sutra. The temple is also known as that of the Law because it preserves the Tripitaka Koreana. The temple is complete with the three institutes for Son(Zen), Lecture and the Law.

<Cultural Treasures of Haeinsa Temple>
The temple preserves many national treasures and other important cultural properties including the woodblocks of Tripitaka Koreana (National Treasure No. 32), the Storage Buildings (National Treasure No. 52), the Memorial Stone Stele for the King's Teacher Wongyong (Treasure No. 128), the Three-story Stone Pagoda from the Wolgwang temple site (Treasure No. 129), the Rock-cut Standing Buddha from Ch'iin-ri, Hapch'on (Treasure No. 222), Seated Stone Buddha from Ch'ongyangsa (Treasure No. 265), the Three-story Stone Pagoda from Ch'ongyangsa (Treasure No. 266) costumes of King and Queen Kwanghaegun and their court lady (Important Folklore Material No. 3) and many others.

<CHANGGYONG P'ANGO-The Storage Buildings>
The Storage Buildings are the oldest ones in this temple which house the world cultural heritage of more than 80,000 printing woodblocks of the 13th century. The buildings consist of two long buildings placed on the north and south with two smaller ones on the east and west between them thus forming a rectangle. The buildings showing the architectural style of the early Choson period are noted not only for their beauty but also for their scientific devices for the prevention of humidity, and also for ventilation and climate control, the devices which enabled the preservation of the printing woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana for such a long time.

<Printing Woodblocks>
These printing Woodblocks were carved in 16 years from 1236 to 1251 during the reign of King Kojong of Koryo. The Tripitaka Koreana refers to the complete collection of Buddhist sutras, the laws and discourses the so-called 'three baskets.' The Tripitaka Koreana is called by its various names in Korea. The first edition of the Tripitaka Koreana was burnt in 1232 by the Mongols and in 1236 when the Mongols again invaded Koryo the kingdom created the Office of Tripitaka Koreana to carve the second edition of the Tripitaka Koreana as a means of warding off the foreign invasion by the strength of Buddha. This is not only the oldest collection of Buddhist canons but it is also renowned for its accuracy and refined calligraphic style.

<Haeinsa temple and Mt. Kayasan>
Mt. Kayasan behind Haeinsa Monastery, a branch of the Mt. Sobaeksan Range, is 1,430 meters above sea level and is one of the eight scenic wonders of Korea. The only flint mountain in the Kyongsang-do Province, which is covered with protruding rocks of fantastic shapes and the four-kilometer long valley from the foot of the mountain to the monastery itself, called the Valley of Hongyu-dong, boasts a fantastic scenery comparable to the Ongnyuch'on in Mt. Kumgangsan. In spite of many wars and revolts, Mt. Kayasan has been able to protect the world - famous Tripitaka Koreana for more than six centuries, and is also famous as a sacred place of state-protecting Buddhism. Monk Samyong who fought against the Japanese during the 16th century Japanese invasion, lived his last days here and was buried here. Haeinsa became a famous monastery because Mt. Kayasan embraced it, and Mt. Kayasan became a famous spiritual mountain because of Haeinsa.