Haeinsa sits on the slopes of Gayasan mountain and holds the Tripitaka Koreana, more than 80,000 wooden printing blocks of Buddhist scripture carved in the 13th century during the Goryeo dynasty. The Janggyeong Panjeon depositories that house them became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, and the woodblocks themselves are on UNESCO’s Memory of the World register.
Clever old architecture
The depositories were designed so that air flows naturally through windows of different sizes and the earthen floor helps control humidity. With no machinery at all, the woodblocks have survived for centuries.
Nearby
Below the temple, the Haeinsa Sori-gil (“sound trail”) follows the Hongnyudong stream through the forest — a lovely walk, especially in autumn color.