City: Jongno-gu
Top Things to do in Jongno-gu
What to do and see in Jongno-gu, South Korea: The Best Sacred & Religious Sites
Seoul is the business and cultural hub of South Korea, where skyscrapers tower over Buddhist temples. Take it all in from the N Seoul Tower, built atop a peak in Namsan Park. The teahouses and shops of Insadong give you a taste of Korean flavor, which you can further experience with a visit to the grounds and museums of Gyeongbokgung. UNESCO World Heritage Site Changdeokgung Palace is a fine example of authentic ancient architecture.
Restaurants in Seoul
1. Jogyesa Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,008 reviews
This beautiful, colorful temple is the center of Zen Buddhism in Korea. Equally lovely is the courtyard, which is filled with vibrant lanterns and trees more than 500 years old.
Reviewed By trizamu - Seoul, South Korea
It's a pretty small temple, not much to explore, but it's so worth the visit. Inside the main temple building you can see 3 big golden statues of Buddha (pay attention on where you should take off your shoes). Yet, it's most worth visit on around the end of April, during May, and beginning of June (around the date of Buddha's birthday), since they decorated the whole temple with the most festive looking lanterns! Guaranteed to take the most mesmerizing pictures!
2. Bubryunsa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
3. Naksan Myogaksa Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By meganhX5276JJ - Brisbane, Australia
We organised this from Australia. Communication was quick and informative, however a I was a little concerned with the language barrier and interpretations. We had the best time. We did the 2 day / 1 night "where is your mind" program and would DEFINATELY recommend. We arrived, met our other participants and chatted, english was the main language despite the various countries we all originated from. There was also a Korean speaking group that integrated with us which was no problem at all. Our Sunin was awesome. She was friendly, her english fantastic, her sense of humour great and no question was too hard or "out of bounds". We started off with what my husband calls "Buddah burpies" the 108 prostrations. This was in your own time and pace. The necklace that you end up making is so very special.... Mind sharing and meditation, lots of lessons and explanations for those of us not accustomed to the Buddhist ways. We participated in at least two Buddhist ceremonies and also the striking of the bell which again is very significant. Sleeping was uncomfortable, but hey - it was only one night. The floor although VERY hard was heated. I think we all tried practising our meditation throughout the night that we had learnt to try and get some rest. The food was yummy and a pleasant surprise. We had been to a monastery in Hong Kong and were very underwhelmed so extremely wary. Your choice on what you eat, only condition is that you eat everything you take. All dishes were labelled with good descriptions. The Tea Ceremony that we finished with was really interesting - to learn the why and not just participate. I would HIGHLY recommend a temple stay. Our initial group split to half (approx 20) after dinner - with those leaving most disappointed that they hadn't booked early enough to spend the night. This was definitely the highlight of our time in Seoul - an opportunity to really experience the ways and customs of tradition. Note - you are provided with pants and a VEST which you are required to wear for the duration of your stay. Make sure you have a top to wear underneath. Also the morning bell ceremony (4.45am) is quite cool - so again, be prepared for the weather.
4. Jongmyo Shrine
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 736 reviews
The ancestral shrine of the Choson kings, is one of Korea's most precious cultural monuments. In 1995, UNESCO recognized the value of the shrine by including it on its World Heritage List.
Reviewed By SPSurat
A must visit site that can be visited ONLY with free guided tours provided on-site. English speaking tours are at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. You are not allowed to join other language tours. On saturdays, you can enter the shrine on your own without a tour guide. Entrance fee is 1000 won incl tour guide
5. Seokgulam
6. Seunggasa Temple
7. Inwangsa Temple
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1 reviews
