Donghyeolsa Temple

Donghyeolsa Temple is a temple located halfway up Cheontaesan Mountain in Uidang-myeon, north of Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do. This temple is a branch temple of Magoksa Temple, the head temple of the 6th diocese of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and is said to have been founded during the Baekje period. It is a temple that was likely built when feng shui thought was widely popular in Korea, along with Seohyeolsa Temple and Namhyeolsa Temple, as it is located in the hyeol (cave) of the east, west, south, and north. Traces of this remain at the Donghyeolsa Temple site (銅穴寺址) below the current temple. Moreover, the appearance of the Daeungjeon Hall, which is not painted with dancheong, makes the temple even more antique. To get a panoramic view of Donghyeolsa Temple, if you climb to the top of the mountain opposite, there is an old military helipad, where you can see not only the scenery around Cheontaesan Mountain but also the entire Donghyeolsa Temple at a glance. Meanwhile, the three-story stone pagoda within the temple grounds has been designated as a local cultural heritage of Gongju-si. Donghyeolsa Temple can be accessed via Uidang-ro from National Highway 43, Local Road 604, or National Highway 23, and the nearest expressway is the Jeongan IC on the Nonsan-Cheon'an Expressway. Nearby attractions include Gongju Al-Bam Farm and Jungheung Reservoir.