Naksansa Temple, Yangyang-gun

Welcome to a buddhist pilgrimage site! There is a small cafe inside the souvenir/gift shop near the entrance that sells all sorts of herbal teas, as well as coffee/espresso drinks, but the downside is that drinks cannot be ordered past 5pm.. When I got here, some parts of the area were undergoing renovation/reconstruction but otherwise a lot of beautiful architecture, a giant stone buddha, Spectacular views of mountain-meets-ocean, an overall nice tourist area for photography manias. Some areas are off-limits mainly because those areas are actual living residences for the monks that take care of the place, I chuckled when a monk in traditional clothing walked by... wearing a brand-name runners... A lot of walking and stairs too but there are gradual ramps as well for wheelchair access and those who hate stairs. Due to covid, a lot of the fountains for natural mountain spring water have been cut off and closed so the public drinking/washing areas were not accessible but that is just a minor setback to the entire experience. Even if one is not religious or is part of a different religion, it is still a good place to take in beautiful scenery, especially at the peak.

This temple has a lot of history, although the overwheming majority of buildings here are of relatively new construction (many were built after the large 2005 fire, the rest were constructed after the temple was destroyed in the Korean War). The views from the temple are beautiful, and the temple feels very much alive, with many monks to be found on the grounds. Worht a visit if you're in the Sokcho/Yangyang area