RAS members are invited to join an interesting guided visit to Seoul’s most important ancient Buddhist temple, for spectacular scenery and to observe some classic traditional artworks.

Doseon-sa was founded about 1150 years ago just beneath the three main peaks of Samgak-san, Seoul’s sacred and prominent guardian mountain.  Its great founder, grand history, geomantic (feng-shui) setting and artworks will be explained, including one national Treasure cliff-carving of Buddha. It has remained the most religiously important monastery of the Seoul area ever since; it is almost always crowded with sincere worshipers. It has several unusual features relating to modern Korean political & religious history that will be pointed out and story-told to our group.  As this temple is built on a steep slope, halfway up Bukhan-san National Park, some brief uphill climbing is necessary on cement stairways and roads; almost anyone can do it.

This tour will be led by David A. Mason, a well-known expert on both Korean Buddhism and Korea’s folk-religion traditions, currently Professor of Korean Cultural Tourism at Sejong University.  Please join us for this opportunity to see and learn some fundamental aspects of Korean Buddhist and folk-Buddhist culture!

We will meet at 10:00am on street-level at Exit #1 of Ui-Bukhansan Metro Station located in Ui-dong, in Gangbuk-gu; it is on the Ui LRT Line (opened in 2017) that runs north from Sinseol-dong Metro Station on Dark Blue Line #1.  There is a main City-Bus Terminal right near there, so you may also come by bus and walk down just a bit to the exit.  Either way, it might be a long journey for you, so check the routes and leave home early-enough!  There is little convenient parking in this busy area.  Once united, we will ride the free temple-guest bus for 15 minutes up to the temple’s parking-lot, and begin our 3-hour tour.

When the tour is complete, we will take that bus back down to “civilization”, ending back where we started at that exit & bus-terminal by around 14:00.  Any who chooses to stay at the temple can eat a basic & free vegetarian Korean lunch at the temple cafeteria, or a group of us can eat at a mountain-foods restaurant in the neighborhood below.  Those who might want to can enjoy a short hike on the steep but beautiful trails in the Park during the late afternoon; maps and advice will be available.

Participants are encouraged to bring along simple snacks and beverages for themselves, whenever they would like (water is available from fountains and soft drinks are sold from vending machines at the temple).  They should be prepared for any likely weather conditions, and should wear good sturdy walking-shoes.  This tour will be cancelled in the event of heavy rain.

David A. Mason is a Professor of Korean Cultural Tourism at Seoul’s Sejong University, and researcher on the religious characteristics of Korea’s mountains and the pilgrimage traditions associated with them.  Prior to this 18-year professorship, he spent five years as a Consultant for the national Ministry of Culture and Tourism, assisting development of the famous TempleStay program, and 15 years before that in other academic work in Korea.  He has authored ten books on Korean culture and tourism, has extensive experience of exploring and tour-guiding Korean sites and areas , and is a skilled lecturer on their interesting aspects both in-person and online.