At that moment, the beauty of Palsangjeon her friend spoke of long ago becomes a reality.
“Would it sound odd to say I have yearned for this place even though I have never been here before? Nevertheless, I have longed for this moment. It feels like I just met someone I was destined to meet.”

For a while she observes the temple compound over the wall, and then hurries toward the Templestay Experience Center. She had yearned to enter the realm of Beopjusa for so long, but now she was here to enjoy her beautiful journey by herself.

The Most Beautiful Greeting

“Welcome! Thank you for making such a long trip to visit Beopjusa.”
Ms. Lee Sun-nam, leader of Beopjusa’s Templestay team, greets all travelers with a warm welcome. The first order of business at Beopjusa is to check visitors’ temperatures. Staff members diligently check every visitor’s temperature and record them.

Quarantine regulations may be relaxed outside the temple gate, but at this mountain temple (elev. 350m), regulations are strictly observed. There are other temple regulations to be observed besides quarantine. Beopjusa asks even participants of the rest-oriented Templestay program to attend the orientation and temple tour.

The Present

Participants begin “a walk with a monk,” a popular activity in Beopjusa’s Templestay programs. Listening to stories about Beopjusa spun by a monk while walking the vast temple compound, steeped in 1,500 years of history, is like drinking from an inexhaustible spring.

Frequented by many kings, from the Goryeo to Joseon eras, Beopjusa housed up to 3,000 monks in its heyday. As a testament to its former prosperity, Beopjusa has an iron caldron weighing 20 tons, and a colossal granite container which can hold 6,400 kg of rice, both perfectly preserved. Other treasures include: Palsangjeon Hall ^{(national treasure)}, the only remaining wooden 5-story pagoda in Korea; dual-lion stone lantern ^{(national treasure)}, an iconic Silla era stone lantern; stone lotus basin ^{(national treasure)}, crafted in the 8th century during the Silla era; and 5m-high rock-carved buddha seated on a chair ^(treasure). One cannot help but admire these treasures. Soon, sunset envelopes the temple compound, creating a marvelous atmosphere.

The temple tour has ended, but Ms. Jeon continues to stroll around Palsangjeon Hall.
“No matter how long I look at it, I cannot put its architectural beauty into words. A thousand years ago, even before that, someone like me probably stood here admiring this structure. Just looking at it makes me feel like I have been transported back in time.”

If Ms. Jeon encountered ancient aspects of Beopjusa in the temple tour, the singing bowl meditation session led by Ms. Lee, the Templestay team leader, moved her heart in another way.

The Farther You Go, the More You See

At dawn the next day, for a good while Ms. Jeon greets the morning by walking around the temple compound, still enveloped in darkness. As the sun rises and fills the temple compound, Ms. Jeon’s hike to Sujeong Peak on Mt. Songnisan begins.

This hike is special because Sujeong Peak is off limits to the general public; only monastics and Templestay participants are allowed. It is a rocky peak 550m high, and takes about 40 minutes of leisurely walking to get there. It is said that the energy of Mt. Songnisan originates from this peak. Upon arrival, one finds a giant rock in the shape of a turtle. It appears to be lying peacefully in a tranquil forest as if it just descended from heaven. Having hiked to the peak and now panting for breath, Ms. Jeon admires the clouds of fog swirling around Mt. Songnisan, and makes a wish to the turtle-shaped rock.

“When I walked around the temple compound before daybreak today, I was happy, like in a dream. The word ‘alone’ was a perfect description of that moment. While walking around the still dark temple compound, I saw a buddha statue through the half-open