It was the end of
winter when I visited the land of K-pop and K-dramas.
When
most people would never slip their lifetime chance to visit Seoul, the heart of
South Korea, I went for the port city instead. Famous for its beaches and
mountains, Busan doesn’t lose out when it comes to attractions. My decision
didn’t fail me, for I spent the best hours of my life on my trip to Haedong
Yonggungsa Temple.
On
a chilly morning, I set out on my journey to the sacred place. Sited above the
sea level, I had my mind ready to climb a slightly hilly course which took
about 10 minutes by foot. Intrigued to catch the picturesque sight of a temple
by the seaside, I excitedly dragged my feet up the hill to Haedong Yonggungsa
Temple. As the strong bleak wind gusted towards my direction, I strode through
the walkway on the right side of the road. The frosty road almost made me slip,
knocking my mind that I’m, without a doubt, in a country other than Malaysia. Along
the track, as the gust of wind shifted into a gentle breeze, guarded by the
leafless trees, the road hushed from the roaring of cars, I enjoyed the little
tranquility the short journey gifted me.
The
sight of numerous stalls signalled that the temple was merely within my reach. I
took my sweet time walking past the stalls, glancing over every goods sold. The
savory smell of various street food like fish cakes, rice cakes and seaweed
rice rolls I had merely seen on the internet constantly hit my nose. Other than
that, flamboyant rosaries, temple shaped keychains and fancy hand fans were
amongst other things that were caught by my wandering eyes.
The
entrance of the temple complex naturally exuded the holy ambience a religious
place should possess. Lined in a straight row, 12 Chinese zodiac animals were standing
tall in the form of human bodies with heads of their respective horoscope
animals. I was mesmerized at how magnificient the stone carved statues were,
donning robes and designed gear of an ancient warrior. Round stone benches were
also sighted along the right side of the entrance, served for the convenience
of the visitors. The area of the broad entrance was slightly elevated, hence I
was once again required to test my vigour.
A descending path with a forest of bamboo trees
I resumed my exploration to look for the building
of the temple since it was nowhere within my sight. The site was unexpectedly
spacious, the temple located further inside it got my inner Dora itched with
euphoria. Sauntering forward, I saw a grand looking entrance on the left side,
calling out mysteriously to me. I walked down a short set of stairs to the
straight path which then led me to a low roofed stone tunnel, waiting for me
next was a descending pathway. My eyes glowed in mesmerization when I saw the
nature-filled enclosed area. I thought I had landed in some kind of a fairytale!
This new path I found was walled with myriad thin bamboo trees, there were wide
stone staircase leading down and stone carvings of various shapes. On my way
striding down, I could see visitors from other countries, foreign as I was.
Engulfed
in nature, all I could see ahead was branches sticking out from the enormous
trees around me. As I stepped further down the staircase, my view cleared up.
Slowly unfolding before my eyes, with sparkles of sunlight gleaming beautifully,
the majestic vista of a temple magically appeared, distance was the only thing
between us. The whole panorama screamed ancient for warm feeling infused in me
as if taking me back in time. I was awestruck at how breathtaking the
landscape was. Five buildings of different sizes nestled by the sea, two on the
left settled upon the rocky outcrop, the other three on the right side, facing
the ocean. I was sure the largest one was the main temple. While studying the
whole place, I realized that this flight of stairs I had been descending on was
connected to a bridge leading to the temple. I stood there for a moment, feeding
my eyes to the utterly enchanting sight before me, a sight I could rarely stumble
upon in my hectic reality before finally moving to the site itself.
Transportation: Taking a
bus in Busan is much more cheaper and easier. To reach Haedong Yonggungsa
Temple from Haeundae Station (Subway Line 2, Exit 7), take the #181 bus and get
off at the Yonggungsa Temple stop. You can purchase the Tmoney card at any
convenience store in Korea and reload money into it as an easier payment method
on buses and subways. It can also be used at affiliated stores and attractions.
Lodging: Airbnb home in Haeundae.
Food: Restaurants are available everywhere but as most
Korean food are not halal-certified, Muslim tourists can dine at Indian and
Turkish restaurants that serve halal food.
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