My I Love SEOUL I Like TEMPLE Tour Experience

Last Sunday, October 12, 2014, I've got to experience Korean culture at one of the Seoul temples, the Jinkwansa Temple. This is one of the old temples which also contains more than 100 years of history of Seoul. The Seoul city government made the traditional temple week last October 10-12, 2014.

The gathering of team members started at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu. It is located in Seoul where Korean and foreigners can visit and participate in some events of the temple.

Entrance of Jogyesa Temple

Jogyesa Temple Flower Festival has begun.

I Love Seoul I Like Temple Tour booth

Finding of team members both locals and foreigners

They are my team members, Team 11.

See the beautiful flowers at the back.

On our way to the Jinkwansa Temple, we rode the Metro Tour which takes us to the temple for free to experience Korean Buddhist culture.

We walked for almost 15 minutes to the temple. But you will never feel tired while walking because some Koreans tells stories about Buddhist religion, aside from the nature friendly atmosphere I saw.

There is a stream located here.

Some visitors went on hiking Mt. Bukhan

When we arrived at the place, we were late for 30 minutes because the program has started already. We were given introductions about the history of Jinkwansa Temple in English.

The Korean Monk was our tour guide for the day.

The Ambassador of Switzerland is also here for a visit.

They give us some gifts like this Korean cookie which is I known serve during festive days and I give one to my Sajangnim for us to get lucky. I thought of it like the Fortune cookie.

 Before lunch, they gave us some Tteok, Korean rice cake made of glutinous rice flour which is made by their chef, that is why it is very delicious and nutritious.

Giving of Korean cookie and Tteok

The Buffet Lunch served for VIPs, wherein we got a chance to ate there too.

This was my buffet lunch last Sunday. There were no meats at all. I asked one of my team members why, because Buddhist value life. Only vegetables for that time and some fruits too.
Get some foods which you can eat but not too much or else you will eat the leftover food in your next life as one of the translator said. Oopss! Don't be greedy.

If we are not included in the VIP area, we are eating there too along with some visitors of the temple.

She was asking if we have dreams and we said, Yes!

The lecture has just ended.

It was the Jinkwansa Temple National event of "SuRyukJae". We experienced the Gwaebul-eun ritual wherein there is a large Buddhism painting Gwaebul hang up on the Gwaebul pole. It symbolizes vulture peak assembly of Shakyamuni. In Joseon dynasty, people believes that Gwaebulnim brings down rain to come out during drought if the painting is outside.

After the Gwaebul ceremony, Buddha's sermon on vulture peak mountain will be shown and majestic, beautiful music and dance are performed by monks.

The nun tour guide also said something about Sa-Ja-Dahn, requesting an envoy riding a horse to let all Buddha and lonely souls know the ceremony is about to begin. The horse will have its own comfort place. 

When you became a Buddhist, as what our monk tour  guide said, you should give up everything, even your own family. She even asked us to donate something, our SMILE. If we smile, happiness is in. She said that we should always be thankful that we are alive everyday. And as we open our eyes in the morning, wherein our body wants to still be in bed, let our mind be our guide that we should wake up and be thankful each day. Being positive should always be remembered. Negative thoughts should be thrown away as these deteriorates ourselves. In this tour, I've experienced happiness inside and out. Aside from the fact that our monk tour guide was so happy and not boring.

After the lecture/discussion on some Korean Buddhist culture, they allowed us to spent our time walking around, taking some pictures, participating in some events.

.They offered us some snacks and green tea

My newly-found friends, Koreans and Chinese.

This is what Temple stay means.

We received special gifts in this event processed with Seoul Metro Stamp Tour by Korea Tourism Organization.

This journey took me to the best that Jinkwansa Temple has to offer from a warm welcome to a fond farewell and got home armed with stories and memories to share with others.

Thanks to the host of the event I Love SEOUL, I Like TEMPLE Tour, Seoul Metropolitan Government, organized by Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Headquarters, supported by Korea Tourism Organization and executed by Cham Education & Culture.

If you want to visit the Jinkwansa Temple, you may call their telephone number, 02-359-8410 or here is their address.

Line 3 Yeonsinnae Exit 3 and take a bus 7211 or 701
Line 3 Gupabal Exit 3 and take a bus 7723.

If you want to visit the Jogyesa Temple, you may call them at 02-732-2115.

Directions thru subway:
1. Jonggak Subway station
Subway Line 1, Exit 2
Go 70m forward, then cross the street,
Go 100m more to arrive at a path to Jogyesa Temple.

2. Anguk Subway station
Subway Line 3, Exit 6
Go 50m forward, then cross the street infront of Dongduk Gallery.
Go 50m more to arrive at a path to Jogyesa Temple

3. Gwanghwamun Subway station
Subway Line 5, Exit 2
Go 150m forward to arrive at a path to Jogyesa Temple between YTN Parking Tower and Hana Bank.