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| Of course there is more to Korea than just Seoul...there are plenty of places to see once you get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city... The pics on these pages are from Popchusa Temple near Songnisan (remember "san"=mountain), which is about 1 hr from Chongju, home to the largest Buddha statue in all of Asia. It is made of bronze and stand over 33 meters high. It was built by the government of the Republic of Korea as a prayer that one day they would be reunited with their neighbors to the North. (This picture is taken right from the base of the statue...right after I snapped it one of my Korean friends pointed out the sign that said "NO PHOTOS"). |
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| This view lets you see the full figure of the statue. Inside the base of the statue (the white building) is a small, (& very crowded) shrine full of people. I didn't go inside.... |
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| This is the 8-tiered pagoda at Popchusa Temple...which, (if my memory serves me) was built without the use of a single nail. Inside are 1000 small statues of the Buddha, each with a different expression. There are also 4 larger Buddhas one facing each of the cardinal directions (north, south, east, & west). |
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| This gold Buddha is accompanied by a roomful of statues of guards. The white things hanging down from the lantern are the names of deceased relatives put there by worshippers to remember the spirits of their ancestors... |
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| A picture of the Buddha carved into the rock by a monk several centuries ago. The figure is near where some of the monks at Songnisan live so that they pass it and are reminded to follow the ways of the Buddha. |