The Beautiful Bonguensa Temple

Open all year round, many of its halls are spread out along the forested hillside. It feels like a beautifully secluded destination where city sounds seem to just melt away with every step you take; great escape if you don't have time to get out of the city itself. Upon entering, you'll first enter a small courtyard that is filled with huge plant pots engulfing the majority of the space – and when I visited the temple a few years ago, the space was filled with lines upon lines of paper lanterns! Passing under the large Beopwang Dharma Hall, a set of stairs awaits to lead you towards the main hall. This is where our breath was completely taken away. In the middle of the open courtyard ahead, stands a three tier pagoda, with beautiful temple halls of exquisite, colourful architecture await exploration. But what stood out the most here were the HUNDREDS of white paper lanterns set in a canopy over the entire area. Combined with the rhythmic chants of nearby monks, this scene was utterly captivating. 531 Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Easy access from subway line 2 (exit 6) or line 9 (exit 2) #createwithtrip