Bongeunsa Temple: The Harmony of The Modern And Then Past

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Gangnam in Seoul is a symbol of modernization.
There are lots of skyscrapers and modern facilities.
It’s not a coincidence that Psy’s Gangnam Style came out.
The Bongeunsa is placed amongst those tall buildings.
Boneunsa is next to the trade center, where is the center of Gangnam.
The Bongeunsa has a millennium history, but it burnt out during the Korean war in the fifties like many other buildings.
After the war, it was rebuilt again.

The Bongeunsa is in the middle of Seoul, but this is the first time I’ve visited it.
I don’t know why I didn’t visit the temple in Seoul, even though I have visited many temples which placed at the end of the south, east, and west of Korea.

There were many foreign tourists in Bongeunsa.
The statue of an elephant made of stone stood at the entrance of the temple.
German artist made it.

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Construction was in progress at the entrance of the temple.
The long hose installed for the construction reminded me of the elephant’s nose.

What would Bongeunsa look like in the middle of a modern high-rise building?
How would the tall buildings look like from the inside of the temple?
I wondered how the buildings that represent the different eras, history, and cultures would look together.
I couldn’t look down the Bongeunsa from other buildings because the top floors of surrounding buildings were all blocked.
So, I photographed some of the buildings inside the temple.

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It was gorgeous that traditional temple exists among modern skyscrapers.
Harmony adds value to each other.
How boring is it if you only see traditional buildings or modern skyscrapers?



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37 comments
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(Edited)

I find it impossible to not be touched by this place of worship, surrounded in all that is peaceful... in the middle of this busy city. I can honestly say the spiritual feeling washed over me, letting us enjoy the lanterns, softly lit and welcoming you into the circle of peace.

The bonus is that is was so easy to find right across from the COEX, which is an underground shopping mall in Gangnam District. It is so beautiful to be surrounded by nature and pieces of history in between all those modern structures.

Thank you for taking us there!

Upvoted and Resteemed

!tip

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I was surprised that you knew the COEX!! It is also the trade center as well as the big shopping mall!

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For architects it might be very challenging to find the harmony between old and modern, to find that golden middle. The good balance should be kept. I do not like high buildings in my opinion they take a lot of light and dropping shadows. Maybe that is a reason why I do not like big cities.

The temple in the middle of a city makes people especially tourists curious about it. I like the last two photographs, with evergreen trees, top of the temple and skyscrapers. Very good view!

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I like those two photos, either! It is nice to see the peaceful temple in the middle of high buildings!

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Some time ago, I missed the opportunity to visit South Korea, the plan was to go as an exchange student for a year and a half, but reasons beyond my control canceled the trip.

Through his excellent reports, I think I have recovered a part of that missed opportunity.

Thank you very much for sharing your photos and insights on the Buddhist temple among the modern buildings in Seoul.

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It is my pleasure if you could see a part of Seoul through my post! There are lots of places worth to go!

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post perfect friends, hopefully healthy friends so calm in doing work.

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Seoul seems like a great place to visit, i would love to go there personally one day.

Seeing your wonderfully taken pictures gives me a glimpse of how beautiful Korea is!

Posted using Partiko Android

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Thank you! My purpose is to show various aspects of Korea! Hope you could visit here someday!

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@slowwalker, There are more visitors came to the Bongeunsa Temple. Seoul is a very busy crowded city. So I think more people came there to see both traditional and modern architecture. Stone statue of elephant nice creativity of German artist. Lotus flower statue is another best part of there. I believe it was made by similar German artist. Brilliant photo captures you taken here.

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Maybe, the same artist could have made them! It's great that the visitors could see the modern and the traditional aspects of Korea at the same place!

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I think because Bongeunsa Temple is in Seoul and it is gorgeous and traditional, many foreigners visit it.

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That's true!! People can visit there easily because of the location.

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Yes all new style of living only surrounded by high skyscrapers is not as complete and enjoyable as is with some peaceful place like the temple. Also just being in only old things gives less pleasure than the mix of new and old. Variety is the spice of life, they say.

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So true! Bongeunsa was the perfect example of the mixture of modernity and tradition!

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Very nice picture
Greetings from Germany
// 1,2,3, good mood //

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