Gwaneungsa Temple (Gimje)

Gwaneungsa Temple is a temple belonging to the Korean Buddhist Gwaneum Order, located near Geumcheon Lake on the road from Gimje to Jeonju. The temple site, commonly called Gaksigol, has a legend passed down from ancient times: a young bride (gaksi) entered the deep mountains, and when the villagers, finding this strange, followed her, she disappeared at the current temple site, leading them to build a temple there. It is also said that praying to the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva here can fulfill one's wishes, and this Gwaneungsa site is also called Gaksigol. Even today, this legend attracts many Buddhist devotees. It is said to have been founded as a small hermitage in 1936, but the founder is unknown. Around 1985, Jinseong Jeong Gongjin took office as the head monk, enshrining the Daeungjeon (main hall), Yosa (monks' quarters), Samseonggak (three sages hall), and a Maitreya Buddha, renovating the temple's appearance.