Mangwolsa Temple (Gwangju, Gyeonggi)

Mangwolsa Temple is a Buddhist temple located within Namhansanseong Fortress in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. It is situated near the East Gate of the fortress, built on a steep slope. Mangwolsa is the oldest among the ten temples inside Namhansanseong Fortress and is said to have originated from Mangwolam Hermitage.

This temple was founded when King Taejo Yi Seong-gye moved the capital to Hanyang, dismantling Janguis Temple in Hanyang and relocating its Buddha statue and the Golden Letter Avatamsaka Sutra to this site. The old Mangwolsa Temple was completely destroyed by the Japanese colonial rule, and the current buildings are later restorations. The present main hall site was originally the central hall of Mangwolsa. The remaining stone retaining walls throughout the site hint at the scale and layout of the old temple, and a large millstone is preserved as a relic. The stupa located to the right of Daeungbojeon Hall is a 13-story stone pagoda enshrining the sarira (sacred relics) that Monk Seongbeop personally received from the Indian Prime Minister Gandhi, allowing visitors to pray while viewing the stone pagoda.