낙산사

Naksansa is a major Buddhist temple on the eastern coast of Yangyang, Gangwon, set on a coastal hillside with direct views over the East Sea. The temple was founded in 671 CE by the monk Uisang during the Silla period and is one of Korea's most-revered coastal-cliff temples. The compound is best known for the towering Haesugwaneumsang — a 16-meter Bodhisattva of Mercy statue overlooking the East Sea, one of the largest standing Bodhisattva statues in Korea — and the Hongnyeonam pavilion built on a sea-cliff outcrop with the East Sea visible directly below. The temple suffered devastating damage in the 2005 Yangyang wildfires but has been substantially rebuilt. The temple's coastal-cliff setting and direct East Sea views make it a particularly distinctive among Korean Buddhist mountain temples. Best for sunrise visits.