Golgulsa (Gyeongju)

Golgulsa is a temple located on Hamwolsan Mountain in Gyeongju, known as the headquarters of Seonmudo (Zen Martial Arts) and nicknamed the 'Shaolin Temple of Korea.' About 1,500 years ago, a group of Indian ascetics led by Gwangyu Seonin settled on Hamwolsan Mountain in Gyeongju and founded Golgulsa and Girimsa. Golgulsa is the oldest cave temple in Korea, built in the form of a cave temple modeled after India by the monks including Gwangyu. At Golgul Hermitage on the foot of Hamwolsan Mountain, there are 12 caves in a huge tuff rock tens of meters high, and at the highest point of the rock face, there is a carved Buddha statue in relief. The main hall cave has a wall and roof tiles on the front, making it look like a house, but inside, the ceiling and walls are all made of stone. A niche is carved into the north wall to enshrine a Buddha, but due to severe erosion, the facial expression is unknown. The main hall cave and other caves vary in size, from those barely large enough for one person to those spacious enough for three or four people, and enshrine various Buddha statues ranging from cute young monks to dignified elder monks. The paths connecting the caves are linked by steep stairs carved into the rock, and to reach the carved Buddha at the top, one must pass through a natural cave. In the painting 'Golgeul Seokguldo' by the Joseon-era artist Gyeomjae Jeong Seon, the carved Buddha statue and the 12 caves are all depicted as wooden-tiled houses, but currently, all front chambers have been lost, leaving only the rock caves. The carved Buddha statue at the top of the cliff, about 4 meters high and 2.2 meters wide, is designated as a treasure. Since it was carved into granite mixed with a lot of sand, its preservation is not very good, and it has been severely damaged by long-term weathering, so a glass roof has been installed over it. Golgulsa operates a Seonmudo training center, a traditional Buddhist practice, and offers temple stay programs. It runs a one-day temple stay consisting of Seonmudo and temple experience programs, an experiential temple stay with Hamwolsan trekking and meditation, a long-term rest-type temple stay, and the Seonmudo Youth Hwarang Training Program, a youth character education program, which attracts many foreign participants. Additionally, as part of social contribution and cultural welfare, it has established a performance troupe (Sacheonwang) and holds regular performances within the Golgulsa grounds.