The 삼보사 are the Three Jewel Temples of South Korea. Each temple represents a “jewel” or precept of Buddhism. The three precepts are: the person itself, aka Buddha, the Dharma or the teachings of Buddha, and the Sangha or the community of practicing Buddhists. Each of the temples listed below are thought to represent one aspect of the three precepts better than any of the other temples in Korea. If you ever decide to go to Korea, here are three places you can check out as tourists. Of course there are other temples that are just as beautiful, but for today, let’s just look at the ”three jewels”.
통도사 in 경남 (South Gyeongsang Province) near 양산 city, represents the Buddha. 통도사 is about 1,500 years old. 통도사 is Korea’s largest temple. 통도사 doesn’t actually house the statue of Buddha. Rather 통도사 is famous for its relics. Several of the precious relics include items like the robe and skull of Buddha. There are several pagodas and 35 smaller buildings that surround the main hall of 통도사.
해인사 in 경남 lies at the foot of 가야산 (Gaya Mountain) and represents the teachings of Buddha. 해인사 is famous for its 팔만 대장경 also known as the Buddhist scriptures. These scriptures are valued for their accuracy and workmanship. The 팔만 대장경 contains the most complete compilation of Buddhist laws and treatises. The entire work is written in classical Chinese characters.
송광사 is located in 전남 (South Jeolla Province) and represents of the most important Zen Buddhist monasteries in Korea. 송광사 serves as the main headquarters for the Buddhist monks of the 조계종 order. The 조계종 order can be traced to about 1,200 years back, and is representative of the traditional form of Korean Buddhism. The 조계종 order continues to be an active presence at 송광사.
This month, Gwanghwamun (광화문) plaza was unveiled to the public after years of construction. Gwanghwamun (광화문) plaza is located in Seoul (서울), the capital city of South Korea. The plaza is a popular place for the natives because it has a huge water fountain. In the sweltering summer, the kids try to run past all the shooting streams of water. It’s an informal place, so you’ll see lots of people relaxing and getting drenched from the fountain.
The Gwanghwamun (광화문) plaza is in front of the gate of the Gyungbokgung Palace (경복궁). Gwanghwamun (광화문) gate is the main gate to the palace. It contains a lot of Korean history. The Gwanghwamun (광화문) gate has been destroyed and constructed many times. The first time it was destroyed was in 1592 by a Japanese invasion. The second time was also destroyed in the early 1900s by the Japanese invasion. By the Korean War, the gate was almost completely destroyed.
The Gyungbokgung Palace (경복궁) has a lot of history behind it as well. Like the Gwanghwamun (광화문) gate, the palace was destroyed by the Japanese invasion. It’s taken about twenty years to restore the palace. The construction of the palace is not finnished yet. It’s estimated that it will take another twenty years to restore the palace the way it was. Even though the restoration isn’t finnished, tourists can still see the palace.