Sansa (temple)
| Sansa | |
| Hangul | 산사 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 山寺 |
| RR | sansa |
| MR | sansa |
Sansa (Korean: 산사; lit. 'mountain temple') is a term for any Korean Buddhist temple located on a mountain. Seven of these temples are designated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.[1] With the country being largely mountainous and Buddhism deeply rooted in its history, there are many sansas across the country.
Background
There are several philosophical reasons why temples in Korea are usually located in mountains. The first reason is mountain worship. As indigenous mountain worship was absorbed into Buddhism, famous mountains were named after Buddha and Bodhisattva and temples were built there. The second reason is to protect the nation and uphold Buddhist law. For example, the establishment of Beomeosa in Busan which is close to Japan can be seen as a strong will to defend the country. The third reason is transcendence. Buddhism was seen as a means of guiding the secular world and harmony with nature was emphasized.[2]
UNESCO World Heritage sansas
| Sansa | Location | Established | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Tongdosa (통도사; 通度寺) |
Yangsan | 646[3] |
 |
Buseoksa (부석사; 浮石寺) |
Yeongju | 676[3] |
 |
Bongjeongsa (봉정사; 鳳停寺) |
Andong | 677[3] |
.jpg) |
Beopjusa (법주사; 法住寺) |
Boeun County | Mid 8th Century[3] |
 |
Magoksa (마곡사; 麻谷寺) |
Gongju | Latter half of the 9th Century[3] |
 |
Seonamsa (선암사; 仙巖寺) |
Suncheon | Latter half of the 9th Century[3] |
 |
Daeheungsa (대흥사; 大興寺) |
Haenam County | Latter half of the 9th Century[3] |
See also
References
- ↑ Yim, Seung-hye (2018-07-01). "Mountain temples join Unesco list : Sansa are at least 1,000 years old and contain unique Korean elements". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
- ↑ Jeong, Byeong-jo (2022-11-29). "절". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Nomination of Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea: For Inscription on the World Heritage List". whc.unesco.org. UNESCO. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
|  | |