Hwaamsa | Attraction Guide | K-Travel Mate

At Hwaamsa in Yesan, you can sense the presence of the scholar Kim Jeong-hui, known as Chusa. Chusa was a literati of the late Joseon period and a native of Yesan. Not far from this temple is his historic birthplace, the Chusagotaek. Situated on the gentle slopes of Oseoksan, Hwaamsa has connections to Chusa and his family. The temple was rebuilt by Kim Hanshin, Chusa's great-grandfather. Kim Hanshin was a royal son-in-law of King Yeongjo, married to Princess Hwasun, Yeongjo’s second daughter and the sister of Crown Prince Sado, and was titled Wolsongwi. After their deaths, the couple were buried together at Aengmubong under Yongsan. Present-day Hwaamsa, even when approached closely, does not immediately feel like a temple due to the neat temple lodging building at its entrance. Only after passing the lodging of a very old traditional house can visitors enter the temple, where various relics showing the connection to Chusa are scattered throughout.