Visiting Haedong Yonggungsa temple is one of the highlights of a trip to Busan, so I suggest including it in any Busan itinerary, if you can. This beautiful temple is located on seaside cliffs offering one of the gorgeous photo ops. I am sure you have seen the images of the temple on a number of tourist photos. This guide provides you with practical details for smooth visit to the Temple.
Tips for Visiting Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
How to Get to Haedong Yongggungsa Temple
The temple isn’t very centrally located in Busan, therefore, getting there may take over an hour, if you aren’t staying in Haeundae area (in which case it would maybe be half an hour). If you want an easy access to the Temple, I recommend to stay in Haeundae – Toyoko Inn here has a great location and I love this Japanese hotel chain.
From Seomyen, Nampo and other parts of the city, you have an option to get to Haeundae metro station (line 2) and then take a bus 100 from there. There are other options too, depending where you are staying, so consult Naver. Wither way you will have to take a bus on the last leg at least. From the bus stop, you will have to walk about 15 minutes – just follow the road without changing the route.
Our experience of getting there from Seomyen wasn’t smooth at all. Through Naver’s suggestion we took a bus and were supposed to change to bus 100, however these buses run every 20 minutes and the first one that came was so full, the bus simply didn’t stop for us. We managed to get on the next bus. But this way we lost a lot of time. By the way, when we reached Haeundae area, the bus wasn’t so crowded anymore. So my strong suggestion is, take the metro to Haendae and hop on the bus 100 from there.
As getting to the temple is not so easy especially during the rush hours, you may consider taking a tour to make getting around the city easier. This full day Viator tour of Busan starts with the visit to Haedong Yonggungsa. Klook also offers a very similar group tour, but also a private tour option. Note that most group tours limit your time at the temple to about an hour. If you can afford it and want to explore at your own pace, private tours will be more customized to your needs.
When to Visit Haedong Yonggungsa and Beating the Crowds
The beautiful seaside Busan temple is amazingly free to visit.
The best time to visit the temple is during the Autumn – in October-November – when the vibrant Autumn Foliage adds to the already stunning beauty of the views. Spring (March-April) is also lovely with blossoms. Unfortunately, we were a bit late for them, when we visited in the Beginning of April though.
The temple opens at 5 AM, so you can even watch sunrise here, if you are an early riser. The sunrise (as well as sunset here is beautiful, with soft colors and picturesque landscapes).
If you can’t manage so early though, come here as early as possible. Based on our experience, I advice to plan to get here before 9 AM or much earlier, if you can. As a result of the delay, we ended up at the temple at almost 10am, when tour groups were already crowding the area, but by 11am it was completely impassable.
You will need up to two hours to explore Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, if you want to linger and discover all corners.
The Legend and History of the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Haedong Yonggungsa means Korean Palace Dragon. The 14th century temple originally located here was constructed by master Naong and was called Bomun temple. According to the legend during a time of draught, when people were losing faith in Buddhism, a Sea Goddess appeared in his dream and promised to make people happier, if he built a temple in this area. The temple was then destroyed during Japanese invasions and rebuilt in 1930s-70s.
The temple claims to be “the most beautiful temple in Korea” – you will see the sign while entering. Whether you agree or not, this definitely is a gorgeous place due to its proximity to the sea and resulting lovely views. Besides, the temple’s motto is that at least one of your wishes will be answered here.
What to See at Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
From the parking lot you have two options for entering the temple grounds – one is to go through the alley with tons of food vendors and souvenirs, another is to your right through the small temple building and the woods. The second route is slightly longer, but if you want quieter entrance to the temple, then you can choose that.
Before going down stairs, you will see a row of zodiac animal statues. Then you will find a small pagoda, followed by 108 stairs. On the way down you will find the Buddha of Granting a Son. The idea is that people rub his belly to ask for a son. I do hope this doesn’t reinforce the old practice of preferring sons to daughters.
Once you go down a part of the stairs, you will find a walkway to your left. Follow this path for the postcard views of the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple that you see everywhere.
The path is lined with a number of golden leaves, where people write their wishes. On the way you will find 5 Buddhas of Academic success. Then you will come to the golden Jijan Bosal Statue. From this area, you will get those famous views of the temple, which you see in so many photos and postcards.
After visiting this side, go back to the main stairs and follow them further down. You will cross the stone bridge to get to the main areas of the temple. From the bridge you will see a small pond, where people toss coins with the hope to have their wishes come true. In the pond area you will find small statues, including that of a turtle.
There is a small shrine in the cave, if you would like to climb downstairs. Otherwise, head to the Daeungjeon Main Hall (which was reconstructed only in 1970s). Next to the main hall you will find smaller shrines – one of them has a reclining Buddha statue.
Around this area you will also find the huge golden statue of the Laughing Buddha, which was the statue I loved the most here. I believe this Buddha is actually called Happy Buddha (Podae Hwasang).
After exploring this area, you will take the stairs up to the white statue of the Haesu Gwaneum Daebul – Sea Great Goddess Buddha (Goddess of Mercy), which faces the sea. From here you can enjoy the views down to the temple and the sea. The goddess is surrounded by a number of mini figurines.
Overall, despite the crowding we enjoyed our visit. It certainly is a gorgeous place. I have heard many people say that they were disappointed in their visit because it was so loud there and they didn’t have the calm atmosphere, but that’s what you should expect at any touristy site, unless you arrive by sunrise really. Besides, if you do wish to get a calm atmosphere, just find an empty corner and tune out other people.
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