Namwon Silsangsa Temple (실상사(남원))

Silsangsa Temple in Namwon is a 9th-century Buddhist monastery considered one of the founding temples of Korean Seon (Zen) Buddhism — the first of the so-called "Nine Mountain Schools" of Korean Seon, established here in 828 CE. Despite its enormous historical importance, the compound itself is modest in scale: a main hall, several stone pagodas (including a celebrated double-pagoda arrangement), and a few smaller halls in a quiet rural valley. The setting in flat farmland (rather than the more typical mountain seclusion of major Korean temples) is itself unusual and worth attention. Allow about an hour. Pair with Baraebong Peak in azalea season or Gwanghallu Pavilion in central Namwon.