Gangwha Jeondeungsa Temple at Incheon City in Korean- Tour

1. ate and Time : Aug 21, 2018.  10:30~13:00 (2 hours and 30 minutes including half an hour break).

2. Location : Gangwha District at Incheon City in Korea. 

3. Distance and Course :

      About 7.64 km. Course is to start Jeondeungsa Dongmun Parking Lot  => South Gate => Daeungbojeon (Main Temple) => Myeongbujeon (Annex Temple) => Yaksayeoraejeon (Annex Temple) => Jeongjoksago (Archives) => Bukmun (North Gate) => Samnangsan (Jeongjoksan) Peak (222.5m Altitude) => Bukmun (North Gate) => Jeongjoksago (Archives) => Samsungdang (Annex Temple) => Daeungbojeon (Main Temple) => South Gate => Back to Dongmun Parking Lot.

      4. Particular and Summary :

Jeondeungsa Temple was originally called Jinjongsa during the Goryeo Dynasty. It functioned as a sanctuary enshrining family ancestors. Jeondeungsa Temple is located in Samrangseong Fortress, which is said to have been built by the three sons of Dangun, the founder of Korea.

Jeondeungsa Temple contains significant architectural works, including the main building Daeungbojeon. Decorated with delicate carvings, it is a superlative example of the architecture of the mid-Joseon Dynasty. The canopy situated above the Buddha statue inside Daeungbojeon building showcases masterful workmanship. On the walls and columns of Daeungbojeon, visitors can see names of soldiers written on the walls. These soldiers fought against the French Navy and wrote their names in Jeondeungsa to pray to Buddha for good luck in war. You could read more details at http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264302 

5. Access :

There is various ways to connect Subway Line No.2 which you are supposed to change to Express Bus No. M6117 at Hyundai Department Store Bus Stop ID:13-022 referring to map of “Change Subway Line 2 at Shincheon Station to Bus Stop 13-022 Shincheon Ogueri”. Please stay with the Bus for 52 minutes and get off at Pungkyeongmaru Bus Stop after 3 times bus stop passing. You should change local bus No 60-5 there and get off at Boligogae  bus stop taking 50 minutes for 9 bus stop passing. As soon as you get off at the bus stop, you should walk to Jeondeungsa Temple South Gate Parking Lot taking 9 minutes for 627m. You could take bus route through reverse on your way back.
But you would reduce this transportation time to 4 hours for round trip in case you use private car or rent car which you could save one hour for the transportation. 

6. Overall Remarks.

      Gangwha Jeondeungsa Temple is consisting with following treasures, wooden sculptures, Buddha painting, annex temple hall and so on. I have been introducing these one at according to visiting course. If you like to look a video, please link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SLnn_w757E 
     1) Nammun (South Gate) : This gate is one of four entrance gate at Samnangseong (Fort Castle) like East Gate, West Gate, South Gate and North Gate which is constructed at Samnagsan mountain. But two gate, North Gate and West Gate) are not practically used. Therefore you could use gate, South or East gate. When you access to Jeondeungsa Temple from Jeondeungsa Crossroad Junction, you will meet Dongmun (East Gate) first. If you further up for 500m, you could reach Nammun (South Gate) secondly where is connected to the Nammun Parking Lot 
      2) Jeondeungsa Younjangdae : This is Octagonal tower containing Buddhist Scriptures shaping with top. Anybody rote this top spindle which means they completely gone through the Scripture. It is so hard to read complete Buddha Scripture in fact. One Chinese Month, Seonhaedaesa well understand this hardness and alternatively introduce Younjangdae method to encourage Buddhist to ordinary people. It is normal people arrange to install Younjangdae inside the temple area but this one is particularly built outside the temple area.   Develop. 
      3) Daeungbojeon (Main Temple) : Jeondeungsa Temple last more than 1,600 years old which was several time rebuilt due to fire including Daeungbojeon. It was assumed naked sculptures would be engraved sometimes at later 17 centuries. Leading carpenter was managing to build Daeungbojeon (Main Temple) who was separated from his family at his home town and used to drop near-by inn for taking care of his loneness and homesick. He was fallen in love with woman owner at the inn. Whenever he receive the money for his works, he transferred whole money to her and heard from the woman as “ We will rush to open sweet home as soon as you finish  on hand Daeungbojeon Rebuild Works”. He answered “O.K. Let’s build so sweet home like picture and live together at the home”. He was looking forward to living with her soon and waiting for the moment he would finish the works and at almost final stage and visit the inn. But woman was suddenly disappeared in the one evening without any notice to anybody. Therefore he raised question about the disappearances to neighbors and heard “ She ran away at night few days before. Please don’t think if you could find her since no way to find her. If you find her, no meaning because she did not truly love you. There is somebody behind her”. The Leading Carpenter was so angry and fly into rage and was scarcely doing his works and sometimes overnight without any sleep due to so bitter betrayal. He should finalize his works bearing his bitter feeling and eventually finished the works. He putting the naked woman sculptures at each corner of the temple column supporting the roof with her body considering sad love story with the woman. You could see clear pictures at the Photo as well as video attached. 
       4) Myeongbujeon (Annex House)

There are total 29 sacred image like Jijangbosal, Shiwang, Gueiwang and so on. We sometimes call Myeongbujeon as Jijangjeon in case Jijangbosal is installed at Myeongbujeon. This house is mainly for taking care of dead spirit waiting for their final judgement by the God which is made at 49 days after each passes away.  
5)  Yaksayeoraejeon (Annex House)

This wooden house was built at middle of Joseon Dynasty which Yeaksayeorae Juasang  (Medical Doctor Buddha) was installed for taking care of many Buddhist disease. If anybody would like to lean on Buddha, they should come to this Buddha and pray here. 
6)  Samsunggak (Annex House)

This wooden house is mainly for taking care of mountain god praying for any event related to mountain aspects like mountaineer or wood related business and so on. 
7)   Daejoru (Observation and Entrance Gate)

This house is for using good observation as well as entrance gate for Daeungbojeon (Main Temple) which could look down so beautiful Gangwha sea at south east direction. When you move from Younjangdae, you should pass the Daejoru under floor which you could look like framed picture of Daeungbojeon. 
8)   Beomjong (Temple Bell)

The temple bell of national treasure No. 393 hanged in the precinct of Jeondeungsa temple was cast at the Sungmyeongsa temple in the "North Song" of China in 1097. Special features appear; sound vibrating device not arranged there at the top of the bell as differentiated from Korea's one, and beautiful 16 petals of lotus flower are decorated around the dragon neck (bell top), and on surface between shoulder belt and waist belt of the bell inscribed there eight divination sign of oriental universe concept 
9)    eongjoksago (Archives)

Historical site where the archives of authentic records of Joseon dynasty was once maintained is situated there as ascending the left hill of 100 meters from the front of Myeongbujeon building.

Joseon dynasty first installed the archive for authentic records at Mt. Manisan and moved them to Jeondeungsa temple in 1660. Thereafter, Jeondeungsa temple had kept historical materials in the archive and was designated as a temple of royal regime with a full support under the guardianship.