Yongjoo Temple Offers Warming Experience Participants practice “ yebul , ” or meditation , at Yongjoo Temple . Foreigners and locals alike are welcome to Yongjoo Temple to experience temple life throughout the year . / Courtesy of Roger Shepherd This is the ninth in a 10 - part series on templestay programs . ― ED . It was a shockingly cold , but clear early winter ’ s day when Magnolia Wetherston and I stepped off the bus No . 46 from Suwon Station to head to Yongjoo Temple in Hwaseong , Gyeonggi Province . Wetherston is a friend of mine , a visiting outdoor nutritionist from the United Kingdom who is in Korea to experience some of its culture ― would a templestay fulfil that experience ? The entrance to Yongjoo Temple is unlike that of most other temples in Korea . No large mountain looms in the background to provide a magnificent panorama , nor is it located at the top of a winding road flanked by oak and maple trees . Rather , it sits on the outer belt of Suwon in a quiet semi - industrious area at the base of a small hill . I wondered about this , and as I walked up the short path to the main gate , I stopped to look at the red two - pillared post in front of me . There was a tablet explaining the history of Yongjoo Temple , or `` Dragon Bead Temple . ” The temple was constructed in 854 during the Silla Kingdom and at that time was named Galyang Temple . The Silla Kingdom ( 668 ­ 935 A . D . ) was a strong advocate of Buddhism and permitted the construction of many of Korea ’ s great temples around the peninsula during its tenure . As I looked beyond the gate , I wondered why the temple looked more Confucian in its architecture ― more a large shrine than a temple . The signboard mentioned that after being destroyed by fire in 1636 during the Manchu War , it was later rebuilt in 1790 by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Kingdom ( 1392 - 1910 ) , a respected visionary leader . What is really remarkable is that he ordered the reconstruction of the temple site in commemoration of his father , Prince Sado , who died under strange circumstances as a young 27 - year - old . Prince Sado was the son of King Yeongjo , a great Confucian monarch with intense knowledge of Korea ’ s traditional culture . During this period , it is said that Prince Sado was reported to be wandering the mountains of Korea in a deranged state killing people . His father , King Yeongjo , ordered his capture and incarcerated him in a rice chest , where he died eight days later . Prince Sado ’ s 10 - year - old son became the next heir in line and in 1776 , at the age of 24 , became King Jeongjo . Sometime after his grandfather King Yeongjo ’ s death in 1776 , many rumors filtered around the peninsula that Prince Sado had been wrongly accused before being incarcerated , and was not insane as reported . Later , in 1790 , guided by the Confucian filial piety of parental worship , King Jeongjo rebuilt the temple site of Galyang - sa in commemoration of his father . A night before the completion of the temple he dreamt of a dragon flying through the heavens with a bead in its mouth , and he named the new temple Yongjoo . The temple subsequently has a fused appearance of Confucian and Buddhist architecture from the Joseon period of that time . This program was attended by a group of about 20 Korean participants . This didn ’ t cause any lack of enthusiasm for Wetherston . Under the warmth of our Korean hosts , everyone settled into a charming introduction of Yongjoo Temple . Admittedly , none of the attendees of the program spoke enough English to be able to interpret the dialogue , so how did Wetherston , an open - minded traveler , cope with being in a completely foreign religious environment ? `` Being a foreigner , I wasn ’ t quite sure I would be able to integrate and mingle in this predominantly Korean group , but I understood quickly just how accommodating and compassionate Koreans are , especially when it comes to teaching others about their culture and traditions , ’’ she said . Afterwards , the group was introduced to the exercise of `` jeol , ’’ where one bows 108 times in front of Buddha as a measure of humility and meditation , followed by `` balwoo gongyang , ’’ the Korean Buddhist eating ceremony . on that , Wetherston had this to say : `` It was a fairly intensive but enjoyable moment on the warmly heated floor where two rows of people performed impeccable dinner manners . Having my own personal helper for the Buddhist eating ceremony ( a nerve - racking experience if you don ’ t have some patience and initial guidance ! ) was just another example of how the templestay staff really went out of their way to give me a uniquely Korean experience . ’’ As the spirituality of the night grew , the group was asked under the tallow of candlelight to form a reflective moment of repentance by writing down a list of personal thoughts . After that we were all taken outside into the cold winter wind and asked to walk around a stupa commemorating Buddha . Later , Wetherston made this reflection , `` An important highlight that sticks with me is writing our ` repentances ’ by evening candlelight , ” she said . `` After writing our lists , they were thrown in a fire while everyone walked around a temple stupa as an act of cleansing . ’’ The next morning began at 3 : 30 a . m . with a prayer session in the main prayer hall . The small , dark , unheated interior was packed to the brim with worshippers and monks . Fueled by everyone ’ s body heat the group was swept into the heavens by brilliant sutras before returning to the warmth of the nearby heated hall where they had slept the night before . From there we all sank into an hour long session of `` chamseon ’’ or meditation . As the sun rose , we all ate a hot breakfast of soup , rice and vegetables , and then were taken on a tour of the temple grounds followed by a nature walk . The walk through the amber forest was a mixture of nature hiking and spiritual rehabilitation performed through gentle exercises . For the casual stroller the scene would have looked slightly surreal as the forest became tainted with the swaying motions of yoga - style exercisers . This stage of the templestay proved to have the biggest impact on Wetherston . `` My favorite templestay activity was our meditative nature hike on the morning of the second day , ” she said . “ As the monk slowly led us through a beautiful forest , we were encouraged to get back in touch with nature through acts such as hugging a tree . ’’ As if all that wasn ’ t enough , the group was taken back to the hall to participate in `` sugaeshik , ’’ a Buddhist ritual where devotees are branded with incense and given Dharma names . The group lined up in rows on the floor , and the main monk walked amongst us gently singeing our forearms with burning incense . Wetherston didn ’ t even wince as the burning rods smoked away on her white forearm . Wetherston wasn ’ t ready for a Dharma name , but she enjoyed her experience at the temple . `` Well , I was pleasantly surprised with my stay at Yongjoo Temple , ” she said . `` Walking onto the grounds felt like a much needed exhale from a full week of hustle - bustle society . The overall energy was serenely upbeat . I wasn ’ t sure what to expect but the reception was warm , unintimidating and in a welcoming environment . `` Because nothing was translated , I was given the unique opportunity to go into my own head . I felt like it was an individual experience for me , all religion aside . ” In the cold courtyard of Yongjoo Temple , looking rather inquisitive , my friend cocked one eye to the sky and puckered her lips . She gently tapped her chin with her index finger and then with a beaming smile of approval said , `` I would recommend Yongjoo Temple to those who are interested in a quiet getaway from society ; one where they can get back in tune with nature and themselves and become introspective . It was a ` gentle ’ introduction to Korean Buddhism , I really enjoyed it ! ’’ To get to Yongjoo Temple , get off at Byeongjeom Station on subway line 1 and take buses 34 , 34 - 1 or 44 . For more information , visit www . yongjoosa . or . kr or call ( 031 ) 234 - 0040 . ( 4343 . 1 . 7 ) rasnzwlg @ gmail . com By Roger ShepherdContributing Writer