Hyewonjeongsa | Attraction Guide | K-Travel Mate

Hyewonjeongsa was founded in 1925 during the Japanese colonial period when an elderly man named Kim Deok-man living in the nearby village came to this mountain to gather firewood and discovered an old temple site. Together with his wife Kim Sun-im, they built a small temple here. They spent their family assets to create a gilt-bronze Buddha statue and built a three-room wooden building and a golden hall, staying for over 30 years. Afterward, their descendants maintained the temple for about 10 years before scattering, leading to its abandonment. In 1975, Monk Gosan, while scouting locations for a temple, discovered the old temple site on the foothills of Myobong Mountain and began rebuilding the temple here, leading to the establishment of today's Hyewonjeongsa. The term 'Jeongsa' in Hyewonjeongsa refers to a temple where wandering monks gather to practice meditation during retreat and where practitioners stay. 'Hyewon' means the garden of wisdom and represents the Buddhist practice grounds where one attains the three trainings (precepts, meditation, and wisdom) essential for enlightenment. Based on the spirit of nurturing transformation emphasized by Monk Gosan, the temple operates a Buddhist university, citizen Seon meditation center, and the Gosan Scholarship Association. Many religious groups fulfill Buddhist propagation and social duties in the Busan area. Currently, the temple is led by Monk Wonheo, a disciple of Monk Gosan, developing steadily as a center of active practice and propagation.