Seokguram

Seokguram  (석구람) is a mountain side grotto that contains a 1,000+ year old Buddha statue. The Buddha, carved into the granite mountain side, is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Silla dynasty Buddhist art. Seokguram is considered to be a part of the Bulguksa temple complex, but it is theorized that historically that the Seokguram grotto was used primarily by Silla royalty.

Driving up to Seokguram is one of the most beautiful drives I’ve seen in Korea. As you wind around the mountain, you are greeted with long fields of green and mountains dotting the horizon. If you suffer from car sickness, be prepared; the road up to the grotto is long and twisty.

Once you have arrived, there are several viewpoints to see some of the stunning scenery. Make sure to bring your camera!

 At the entrance, there is a large bell which can be rung for good luck. To ring the bell, they ask for a 1,000 won donation to the temple. Even if you don’t want to donate or ring the bell, the view from the bell house is quite amazing, so donate the 1,000 won and check it out.

 The log is heavier than it looks!

To get to the grotto, you must first take a 15-20 minute hike. Don’t worry though, like everything before, the view is to die for. Once you reach the grotto site, the area is filled with hundreds of colorful lanterns. During Buddha’s birthday, there are even more lanterns near the grotto.

Unfortunately, due to issues with preservation, the grotto itself is not often open to the public. There are a few days a year where you can actually go inside the grotto (one of which is Buddha’s birthday). If you can enter the grotto, you first you must take off your shoes. Once inside, there are mats where you can pray to Buddha if you so choose. However, cameras are not allowed due to the fragile nature of the grotto. If you visit on a day in which the grotto is not open, you can still see it from the outside.

Once you leave the grotto, you can continue on to see the small Seokguram temple. While modest, any fan of Asian architecture will be happy to see the classically designed wooden buildings. As we visited on Buddha’s birthday, the temple was giving out free bibimbap (비빔밥) (actually, most Buddhist temples do this on Buddha’s birthday).

Since we visited on Buddha’s birthday, entry to the grotto was free, but on regular days, the temple costs 4,000 to enter. To get to Seokguram, you can take a car, taxi, or bus (Bus 12 from Bulguksa Temple). The ride up to the grotto takes roughly 30 minutes depending on the traffic. You also have the option of hiking from Bulguksa Temple to the grotto. The hike is about 4 kilometers and takes roughly 2 hours to complete.