Gasansa Temple

Gasansa Temple is a branch temple of Beopjusa Temple, the head temple of the 5th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is said to have been founded during the Silla period and served as a base for righteous armies and monk soldiers during the Imjin War (Japanese invasions of Korea, 1592–1598). Gasansa Temple is imbued with the spirit of national defense, where many monk soldiers and righteous army troops trained to save the nation in a time of crisis. Notable righteous army leaders active during the Imjin War include Gwak Jae-u, Go Gyeong-myeong, Jeong Mun-bu, and Jo Heon, while prominent monk soldiers include Seosan, Samyeong, Yeonggyu, Cheoyeong, Sinyeol, and Beopjeong. Among them, Great Master Yeonggyu was the first monk commander to voluntarily organize monk troops before Seosan took overall command. The area around Gasansa Temple holds great historical significance as a place where Great Master Yeonggyu and Jo Heon trained monk soldiers and righteous armies and used it as a military camp.

Great Master Yeonggyu and Jo Heon, who made significant contributions to the recapture of Cheongju Fortress, died in the Battle of Yeongonpyeong in Geumsan. To honor their loyalty, the state designated Gasansa Temple as a patriotic temple and enshrined their portraits for ancestral rites. However, during the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese Government-General of Korea, concerned that the temple might become a center for anti-Japanese movements, confiscated the portraits of the two righteous army leaders and suppressed Gasansa Temple by labeling it a seditious temple. Today, Okcheon County holds annual memorial rites at Gasansa Temple for the loyal martyrs who led the nation's efforts to overcome national crises.