CNN Sellecting Korea 33 Temople and Sujongsa Temple in Kyeongi Priovince

 1. Preface 

CNN, one of typical America news media has appointed 33 temples in Korea as a beautiful one which are spreaded in nationwide except Jeju Province  There are total 33 temples on the list as one temple in Seoul City, one in Kyeonggi Province three in Kangwondo Province, three in Chungcheong Province sixteen in Jeolra Province and nine in Kyeongsang Province. Please see more details at the attached table herein. 

  2. Sujongsa Temple 

This temple is located at # 186, Bukhankgangro 433 Gil, Joammyeon, Namyngju City, Kyeonggi Province, Korea and is an annexe and small temple belongs to the Jeokyesa Temple, one of major Buddhisam Parish in Korea. It was not clearly confirmed when this temple was built and possibly in the epoch of Three Kingdom Period. Anyway it was confirmed this temple was major repair and renovation works by King Taejo in Choseon Dynasty who was a founder of the Dunasty. The King Taejo was dropping by and slept overnight at this temple on the way back from the trip to Geumghangsan Mountain and heard strangerouse ringing sound during at that night. He next morning ordered people to dig sounding area and found 18 Naha Budadaha Statue. There is no confirmable evidience for this story. We somewhat doubt his story was noy so much reliable.

 3. Visit to the Sujongsa Temple 3-1) Date and Time : 

March 31, 2025. 11:30 ~ 15:30 (4 hours for round hike) including hiking to Woongilsan Mountain (610m above sea level) where Sujongsa Temple is located and several times break and lunch on the Woongilsan Mountain Submit. 

  3-2) Course Introduction 

This copurse is very short distance, about 2km for oneway to the temple and less than half an hour walking and somewhat easy walking bearing in mind very hard somewhat diffucult. That means I could walk about an hour for round trip from the parking lot to the temple. This temple is situated at the Woongilsan Mountain and very hard slope to the submit. Therefore I determioned to hike this mountain soon after I finish temple tour taking into account some avilable time. It was estimated about 2 hours for round trip to the Woongilsan Submit from the Sujongsa Temple but was so hard works course and higher level slope and a bit dangerouse slippery sometimes. 

  3-3 Visiting Story 

I moved to this temple by the car because this temple is suburb Seoul, about 46 km from Seoul City Hall for one way which means about 100km for round trip. Therefore I took mind to coem to this temple by car which took about one and half an hour for oneway, total about 3 hours for round trip. As this temple is at high sloped Woongilsan Mountain, I was somewhat hard to climing up to the temple parking lot and felt a bit hard for 1.6L turboengin car. I started to walk to the Sujongsa Temple as soon as parked the car and reached to the temple about half an hour and looking around the so beautiful temple and appreciate spectacular Scinery of Dumulmueri Village at temple filed which means junctioning point between two differnet river. I started to clime high sloped Woogilsan Mountain through introduced course and felt high level breathless and hardly kept on hiking with several times short break. You could see high slope at the photo attached, “Hike Up to the Woongilsan Mountian where Sujongsa Temple is”. I eventually touched down to Woongilsan Montain after about one struggling works for about an hour, 610m above sea level as see at the photo as “Touch Down to Woongilsan Mountain Submit”. It was main reason why I was so hard to hike down from the submit I returned that I hiked down without hike supporting stck. I was considering at begining I would visit to the temple only and left the stck at the car. If you want to visit to the temple as well as Woongilsan submit, you should prepare proper hiking support stick without failure. I returned Car Parking Lot about 4 hours visiting and hike to the submit and looking down Dumulmueri Vuillage at the palce.