Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Eye of God at Newchurch in Pendle
St. Govor’s Well.
St. Govor’s Well
Shivsrushti
Pierced domes of Hammam Seffarine.
Hammam Seffarine
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Grasshopper Chapel and grounds.
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
3 days ago
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo in Everglades National Park.
America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds
3 days ago
Echo Park Time Travel Mart.
Atlas Obscura Presents: Traveling Back in Time for Coconut Cake With The Sporkful
4 days ago
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All South Korea Haedong Yonggungsa
AO Edited

Haedong Yonggungsa

One of only a handful of seaside temples in Korea, this sacred space is home to a legendary healing Buddha statue and a traffic safety prayer pagoda.

Sirang-ri, South Korea

Added By
Angie Papple Johnston
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The outer end of Haedong Yonggungsa Temple   Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
The outer end of Haedong Yonggungsa Temple   Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
The view from the top of Haedong Yonggungsa   Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
  Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
The healing Buddha   Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
Statues waiting to catch donations in the form of coins tossed into the water   Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
The Buddha by the Sea   Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
  Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
The Traffic Safety Prayer Pagoda at Haedong Yonggungsa   Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
The Korean Zodiac statues on the way to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple   Angie Papple Johnston / Atlas Obscura User
  Carbonated Jerks / Atlas Obscura User
View from the temple  
  Carbonated Jerks / Atlas Obscura User
The view of the temple  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Said to have been established in the year 1396 when Naong Hyegeun—a royal consultant to the Goryeo Dynasty—dreamt that a sea god promised peace and prosperity in exchange for the construction of Haedong Yonggungsa. Built on a precipice with a mountain at its back and the sun and sea at its front, this temple is one of the few seaside temples in Korea.

As you enter the temple grounds, you'll walk past a dozen or so vendors dishing up delectable street foods (meats, breads, and hotteok in season and ice cream year-round), selling Buddhist bric-a-brac and, of course, a few cafes. Towering statues of the Korean Zodiac face stunning cherry trees. Huge steles and statues of Buddhist importance, such as the dharma wheel, dot the path down to the Traffic Safety Prayer Pagoda. Whether you circumambulate the pagoda or pass it by, the main gate will be immediately to your left.

The winding stairs that lead down to the temple are lined with one of the area's largest collections of stone lanterns. You can make a stop at any of a number of specific Buddha statues that promise good grades, more sons and a variety of other benefits with a belly rub and donation. (Just read the translations carefully so you don't mistakenly donate for the wrong blessing.)

At the bottom of 108 stairs, you can veer left to look over the ocean, buy a drink or snack, and get a great view of the temple, or you can continue straight to walk over the stone bridge to the temple itself. Stop and toss a few coins over the right side of the bridge—there are a number of statues in the water holding bowls to catch a few extra donations to the temple.

Enter any of the open temple buildings to worship or explore. No shoes allowed!

Climb a set of stairs past the dragon emerging from the bushes for an even more spectacular view of the sea and the temple grounds, as well as to find the healing Buddha statue.

The temple gets very crowded on New Year's Day, when families visit to pray for good fortune. This temple celebrates the Buddha's birthday in April with lanterns, and the cherry trees blossom from late March to early April.

Related Tags

Sea Buddhism Temples

Know Before You Go

There are 108 stairs leading down to Haedong Yonggungsa - and what goes down must come up. Though there's no train stop within easy walking distance of the temple, taxis wait outside, near the parking lot, to make visiting easier if you're taking public transportation.

Community Contributors

Added By

Angie Papple Johnston

Edited By

Carbonated Jerks, obxcane

  • Carbonated Jerks
  • obxcane

Published

January 14, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Haedong Yonggungsa
Sirang-ri, 619-902
South Korea
35.188349, 129.22332
Visit Website

Nearby Places

World’s Largest Department Store

Busan, South Korea

miles away

Japanese Ruins of Busan

Busan, South Korea

miles away

Oedo Botania

Geoje-si, South Korea

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Korea

South Korea

Asia

Places 107
Stories 14

Nearby Places

World’s Largest Department Store

Busan, South Korea

miles away

Japanese Ruins of Busan

Busan, South Korea

miles away

Oedo Botania

Geoje-si, South Korea

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Korea

South Korea

Asia

Places 107
Stories 14

Related Places

  • Thotagamuwa, Sri Lanka

    Aluviharaya Rock Cave Temple

    Ancient cave temple near a massive Buddha statue.

  • Another view of this one-of-a-kind temple.

    Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Wat Sri Suphan

    This sensational silver temple is the product of centuries of metalworking.

  • Small statues of Buddha line the path to the top of the mountain.

    Hiroshima, Japan

    Mitaki-dera

    A mountaintop Buddhist temple with panoramic views of Hiroshima.

  • Sawathi, Thailand

    Wat Chai Sri

    An early 1900s temple features unique architecture and murals.

  • The main gate of Chōshō-ji Temple, built in 1629.

    Hirosaki, Japan

    Zenringai (Zen Temple Street)

    These 33 Zen Buddhist temples were built to protect the nearby castle.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple

    A grand Buddhist temple with Indian influences.

  • Funerary stelae and graves from past centuries (note that these are not the Bone Buddhas).

    Osaka, Japan

    Bone Buddhas at Isshin-ji Temple

    This temple is home to a group of Buddha statues made from thousands of bones and ashes of the deceased.

  • Minamiuonuma, Japan

    Kankōji Temple

    Take a lick of the legendary homemade miso paste that protected this Buddhist temple’s scrolls from a fire centuries ago.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.