Bogwangjeon Hall of Sungnimsa Temple, Iksan

Bogwangjeon is the main Buddhist worship hall of Sungnimsa Temple. The hall enshrines a wooden seated triad (Jeollabuk-do Tangible Cultural Heritage) consisting of Sakyamuni Buddha as the principal buddha in the center, with Avalokitesvara (Bodhisattva of Great Compassion) and Amitabha (Buddha of Western Paradise) to each side.

Sungnimsa Temple is presumed to have been founded in 1345. The temple is said to have been named by combining the first character of the Chinese mountain Songshan (嵩山, Kr. Sungsan) and the second character of the famous Shaolin Monastery (少林寺, Kr. Sorimsa), located on said mountain.

It is unclear when Bogwangjeon was first built. However, in 1554, it burnt down during a fire and was reconstructed the next year. It was again destroyed during the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598 and rebuilt shortly thereafter. It underwent renovations in 1819, and in 2001, it was dismantled for repairs.

Right below the tile roof, there are intricate support brackets, each of which is decorated with elaborate multicolored patterns and sculptures. The interior of the building is also decorated to depict the Buddhist Western Paradise, with exquisitely carved dragons, mythical kalavinka birds, and wooden canopies.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08