Experts in creating innovation: Bomunsa Temple, Ganghwado, Gyeonggi-do

1 Introduction to Bomunsa Temple.

Bomunsa Temple, located on Naksan Mountain in Seokmodo, west of Ganghwado, is said to have been founded by Great Monk Hoejeong in 635 during the Silla Dynasty when he came down to Ganghwado Island after personally encountering Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva while practicing on Geumgangsan Mountain.

At the time of its founding, it was named Naksan Mountain after the mountain where Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva resides, and Bomunsa Temple was named to symbolize the boundless power of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, which has continued to this day.

Along with Yangyang Naksansa Temple and Geumsan Boriam Temple, which are sacred Avalokitesvara holy sites in Korea where Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva resides, it is one of the three major maritime Avalokitesvara prayer temples in Korea (places to pray to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva).

The story of the construction of the Nahanjeon Hall, where 22 stone statues including Sakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Bodhisattva were salvaged from the sea and enshrined in the stone cave main hall, is famous, and it is also called Shintonggul Cave because it shows many miraculous powers of prayer.

The Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva carved in the rock, a tangible cultural property of Incheon Metropolitan City located below the Eyebrow Rock on the slope of Mt. Nakhwasan, is said to be looking out over the wide open West Sea and watching over all living beings, and is visited by many Buddhists.