Bulguksa was built during the Silla kingdom and, together with Seokguram Grotto, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Its name means “Temple of the Buddha Land” — an attempt to bring the Buddhist paradise down to earth.
Highlights
- Cheongungyo and Baegungyo — the “Blue Cloud” and “White Cloud” stone stairways leading up to the main hall. The face of the temple.
- Dabotap and Seokgatap — two pagodas side by side, one intricate and one perfectly simple.
- Seokguram Grotto — an artificial granite cave on Tohamsan mountain, with a serene seated Buddha considered a masterpiece of East Asian sculpture. It is viewed through glass to protect it.
When to go
Spring brings double cherry blossoms and autumn turns the hillside red and gold. Many visitors go up to Seokguram first thing in the morning, then come down to Bulguksa.