It was still snowing when I set out, but it was a very light snowfall. There were several families out and about, enjoying their holiday weekend. The temple was located at the rear end of a park criscrossed with mountain paths, statues and shrines, and little stone bridges. Parks in Korea also include music and several food options, from vending machines to food stalls to restaurants. I saw a lighted sign about halfway up the path. There was someone pushing something on a megaphone. I have asked about these, and Koreans say the megaphone people are trying to sell something. Megaphones are so ubiquitous here that I think there must be stiff competition.
As I went up the mountain, the crowd thinned a bit. The temple had a sign in English telling me that the temple was first constructed in 927 AD, when Korea was divided into three kingdoms. One kingdom was fighting another, and the king of a neighboring dynasty came to Daegu to help defend it. (Daegu is next door to Gyeongju, the seat of the Silla dynasty). He was besieged and found refuge in a cave, which was suddenly surrounded mist and (or?) spider webs. He founded Eunjeoksa to thank the gods for saving him.
It was lovely and quaint, nestled on a peak. From the entrance to the main shrine I could see the neighboring mountains. There was glass in front of the shrine, and the golden Buddha inside appeared to be inside of the reflection of the mountains. A man was building a snowman outside of the temple with his children. There were scenes from the life of the Buddha painted on all of the buildings.
Temples in Korea all have a similar appearance, but I've yet to tire of them.
By the way, the trip downtown was nearly unfruitful. Not only were there no New Years activities, almost nothing was open. We did find a movie theater and a good sushi restaurant, but it took some searching. The good news: the subway was nearly empty.
A lighted sign on the path
Random gazebo
One of the temple buildings
Painting on the side of the temple (hmmm, what does that look like to you?)
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