HAEINSA TEMPLE

This flagship temple of the Jogye order is one of the country's three largest (along with Tongdosa and Sanggwonsa), but also its most renowned. Built in 802 by the monks Suneung and Iljung, it is home to a number of national treasures, each more charming and magnificent than the last. Located in the heart of Gayasan National Park, Haeinsa Temple offers nature and serenity, as well as an incredible wealth of culture and history. It's the ideal temple for those who want to experience the "temple stay" program and immerse themselves in the life of the monks. But the temple's fame is mainly due to the fact that it houses the Triptaka Koreana.

This is a collection of Buddhist texts comprising 80,000 engraved wooden plates measuring 68 cm wide, 24.5 cm long and 3 cm thick. Dating from the end of the Goryeo dynasty, between 1237 and 1248, they were written to ask Buddha for help against the Mongol invasion. They represent a perfect mastery of execution techniques as well as impressive durability. The process used to achieve optimum preservation was as follows: the birch wood used was soaked in seawater for 3 years, then boiled in seawater again. The wood was then polished and calligraphed with no fewer than 52,382,960 ideograms, all of them extremely accurate. National treasure number 32, listed as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1995, is preserved in the two Janggyeong Panjeon buildings high above the temple. Unfortunately, you can't get too close for obvious conservation reasons.

There arenumerous hermitages (13 in all) worth visiting for their scenery and history. Lost in the mountains along streams, they exude a mystical atmosphere during evening prayers (around 5 or 6 o'clock) when wooden gongs echo up the mountain. Set off on a fascinating voyage of discovery.

Visit Geumseon-am and Samseon-am, to the left of the temple. You can even ask for hospitality at these hermitages, which welcome pilgrims. There is also a small wooden bridge on the way to the temple, which is too narrow for a horse. Legend has it that this was to prevent Joseon Confucians from passing through, as they used to enter the temples, and sometimes even the halls, on their mounts.