Shinheungsa temple is the main temple of Oi-Seorak. It is established by Buddhist priest, Jajangyul, in 6th Year of Shilla’s Queen Jindeok (652 B.C) and was called as Hyangseongsa Temple with 9-storey Buddhist reliquary with enshrined bone of the Buddha. After that, it was named as Seonjeongsa Temple and flourished for 100 years, but was burned by fire in 22nd year of King Injo (1644) in the Joseon Dynasty. After the burn, many monks left the temple, but three priests called Woonseo, Yeonohk and Hyewon deeply sorrowed the loss of the temple and discussed about rebuilding it. One day, they had same dream – a god said “if you build a temple hear, none of three disasters will happen for thousands of years.” After the dream, they built the temple and called Shinheungsa Temple as it was built by revelation of god.
Anyangam Hermitage, Naewonam Hermitage and Gyejoam Hermitage
From the past, small temples or hermitages were built near by huge temples for spiritual exercises, since hermitages are better to meditate than big temples with lots of crowd. There are three hermitages near Shinheungsa Temple. Located on stone cave of Ulsanbawi Rock, Gyejoam Hermitage was built with Shinheungsa Temple. It is named as Gyejoam Hermitage because two priests called Wonhyo and Uisang meditated in the spot as soon as it was made.
Naewonam Hermitage is a quiet hermitage and you need to walk deeply into woods by following a path on the side of hiking course that has small Buddha statue. Anyangam Hermitage, which is the closest hermitage from Shinheungsa Temple has very special feature.
They have sign of “Buddhist Sanctuary” written in Hangul (Korean alphabet) rather than in Chinese characters. Every word by Buddha in front of the sanctuary is also written in Hangul, which is something you cannot see in other temples.
