Destination: South Korea

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Karma Korea

TEN DAYS / 1500KM

Journey along the path to spiritual enlightenment and inner harmony by making a pilgrimage to some of Asia’s most beautiful and remote Zen Buddhist temples.

Located in beautiful forest-covered mountain areas are some of Asia’s most outstanding Buddhist temples, where monks and nuns still live and pursue their dream of enlightenment and freedom from the chains of desire. Their remoteness makes the pilgrimage by bus difficult and the journey covers around 1500km, but it begins (like all journeys) with a single step. Buses go to all the temples, but often there’s a ‘mind-washing’ walk through the forest before you finally reach the temple buildings. Try to leave the cares of the world behind when you enter the gates of a temple in order to get the most out of the experience.

Buses from Seoul run to Gu·insa, which is the spick-and-span headquarters of the Cheontae sect and quite different from any other Korean temple, with multistorey modern buildings lining both sides of a steep valley. It has a Utopian atmosphere and free vegetarian meals are available. From here take a bus to Danyang and on to Gongju and Magoksa, an ancient and traditional temple in a remote spot with a hall of 1000 pint-sized disciples that are all slightly different. Can you find the one that looks like you?

Journey southeast to Daegu and on to stunning Haeinsa, which houses a staggering library of 80,000 World Heritage 14th-century woodblocks. They were carved in an unsuccessful attempt to ward off Mongolian invaders. Back in Daegu, an hour on the bus takes you to Gimcheon, the gateway to Jikjisa, an impressive temple dating back to the 5th century. A soldier monk from here, Sa-myeong, led the fight against Japanese invaders in 1592. Monks were not pacifists in those days whenever the nation was under threat.

Return to Daegu and take a bus to Jeonju and another bus to Jinan, the access town for Tapsa, a tiny temple surrounded by two ‘horse ear’ mountains and an extraordinary garden of stone pinnacles that were built by a Buddhist mystic. Return to Jeonju via Jinan and go south to Gwangju and on to Unjusa. This temple is unique with its fine collection of stone pagodas and Buddhas, including unusual twin and reclining Buddhas. Returning to Gwangju, catch a bus eastwards to Busan and on to Tongdosa, said to be Korea’s largest temple, which houses an excellent Buddhist art museum. Catch a bus to Ulsan and from there to Seongnamsa, a visual masterpiece set in a provincial park.

Finally return to Ulsan and press on to Gyeongju and Bulguksa, a World Heritage temple replica that represents the crowning glory of Shilla architecture and is constructed on a stone terrace. Nearby is a superb stone Buddha, hewn in the mid-8th century, that resides in the Seokguram Grotto.