Mangwolsa (Gyeongju)

Mangwolsa is a temple of the Korean Buddhist Wonhyo Order located in Bae-dong, Gyeongju, and is considered an important temple of the Wonhyo Order. The Korean Buddhist Wonhyo Order is one of the 18 Buddhist denominations in South Korea. It was founded in 1963 in Gyeongju by Master Haein, who established the Propagation Center of the Korean Buddhist Wonhyo Order with the Silla monk Wonhyo as the founding patriarch, and Master Haein became the first head of the order. Subsequently, in August 1967, Mangwolsa became the main temple, and in December 1977, it became the Korean Buddhist Wonhyo Order. Currently, the headquarters is at Anyangam in Seoul, and the main scripture is the <Wonhyojongseongjeon>, which was published at Mangwolsa in 1967. Despite its long history and status, it is a modest temple with a Daeungjeon (main hall), monks' quarters, and an impressive Yeonhwatap (lotus pagoda), a Buddhist pagoda placed in a pond. At the entrance of the temple, there is a traditional tea house managed and operated by Mangwolsa, and nearby are Sambulsa and the Bae-dong Three Standing Buddha Statues. Mangwolsa, Sambulsa, and the Bae-dong Three Standing Buddha Statues, located at the site of the old Silla-era temple Seonbangsaji (now a ruined temple), are collectively called Seonbang-gol.