Daeungjeon Hall of Bonghwangsa Temple, Andong

Daeungjeon, meaning “Hall of the Great Hero,” is a Buddhist worship hall for the veneration of Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha who lived in ancient India. It is the main worship hall of Bonghwangsa Temple, which is presumed to have been founded in 644.

Daeungjeon Hall was built around the late 17th century and has since undergone several repairs. It is relatively large in size for a main worship hall. The pillars along the front facade are convex in shape, which was a trend that had already died down in popularity by the late period of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).

The colorful paintwork inside the hall, which dates to the time of the hall’s construction, is well preserved its original condition. It is typical of the period, as seen in the lotus and scroll designs and floral medallion and scroll designs that are intricately expressed in gold leaf, as well as the dragon designs that are painted on the ceiling.

The name Bonghwangsa means “Temple of the Phoenix.” According to a legend, a phoenix painted Daeungjeon Hall. He forbid any humans from seeing the work while it was in progress. But when he was working on the back of the hall, some people secretly looked at the front. So, the phoenix just flew away without finishing. This is said to be the reason that the back of Daeungjeon Hall has no colorful paintwork.

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