Naksansa Cliff Temple
Naksansa sits on a cliff directly above the East Sea in Yangyang, and the 7th-century temple complex has a different quality than the mountain hermitages inland — here the Buddhist aesthetic meets open ocean. The famous Uisangdae pavilion on the cliff edge is best experienced at dawn when the sunrise comes up directly over the water, a sight that has drawn Korean pilgrims for over a millennium. The temple was partly destroyed in a 2005 wildfire and rebuilt; the new 15-meter Haesugwaneumsang (standing Guanyin) over the sea is more moving in person than in photographs. The beach town of Naksan below has good seafood and is quieter than Yangyang's surf beaches.
"This place is waiting for its first photo.
If you've been here, share your view —
others would love to see it."
