Fafa took me to the Bongeunsa Temple, a Buddhist temple, on new year’s day in Seoul. Going to a temple on a new year was our family tradition growing up. I continued the tradition while living in Singapore and later when we were lucky enough to celebrate multiple new years in Japan. But I didn’t plan it on our Korea trip. Instead, Fafa scheduled the new year’s day itinerary, this time ━ starting from a visit to the Starfield Library with a stop at the % coffeeshop and then to the Bongeunsa temple.
“It’s tradition. We must do it wherever we are“, he said. He is right. It’s a tradition. A tradition that’s ours.
A New Year Wish at Bongeunsa Temple
531 Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Bongeunsa Temple compound is huge, with a gate marking the entrance and a store and a cafe nearby. Then another gate with Gods statues guarding the oldest temple in Seoul, unlike the Sensoji temple in Asakusa, Japan.
Coin Buddha for Good Luck
Walking inside, a Buddha is floating on the pond and coins on frozen water surrounding him. Seemed like it was good luck to offer the Buddha coins. We saw some people doing it, which we both promptly followed for extra luck in 2023.
Something that bothered me, though, was that there was trash, like bottle caps, on the pond. The wind could have brought it (giving people the benefit of the doubt for not being that disrespectful) ━ but surely the maintenance manager should be able to remove it.
I don’t know why it bothered me, but it did; it actually does until now. Hopefully, they have removed it.
Further up, on the left-hand side, was a plaque with Temple Stay written on it. Looked like temple lodging was an option in Bongeunsa Temple.
Meanwhile, straight ahead is a covered building, the temple office. This is also where we can buy offerings to Gods, from rice to candles. I was curious about what each item represents in Korean culture, but there wasn’t any English explanation.
Rat Candle and Collective Wishes ━ A Korean New Year Tradition
The only thing written in English was the candles shaped as Chinese Zodiac animals. We saw people buying them for 5k Won and writing their wishes on the plastic cover surrounding the animal candle. We, of course, wanted to do the same.
It’s a tradition, after all.
We got a rat floating on a pink lotus, wrote our 2023 wishes, and followed the devotees to the Bongeunsa main temple area.
Bongeunsa Temple ground was beautiful. That morning the energy was upliftingly joyful thanks to the power of collective good thoughts. It was a moment that reminded me why it felt so heartwarming to visit prayer houses.
A lady with a lighter offered to light our rat candle. With the lit candle, I bowed ━ expressing my gratitude for the year that just passed and prayed for a happy 2023. I then placed our rat candle with the others and bowed one more time.
Yeon Deung Lanterns
We continued exploring the Bongeunsa Temple ground. I also noticed colourful miniature lanterns with written wishes attached to them, similar to the Ema boards in Japanese culture. Those wishes were made during Yeon Deung, the Korean lantern festival in Autumn last year.
There was also a part of the Bongeunsa Temple where devotees could enter and pray. The inside looked beautiful, but the ritual seemed to be done rather quickly. They went in, sat on a prayer pillow that could be collected near the entrance, bowed and left ━ dozens of people a couple of minutes or so. Maybe because it was new year’s day, to give every devotee a chance.
As someone who was just observing the culture, I didn’t want to be a nuisance, so I just took a peek from the outside.
With that and one last bow, we left the Bongeunsa Temple. Right before, we made a last stop at the temple store. There, I got good luck charms for Liz and Jik made of Korean Otchil wood. I also got a Buddha and Guanyin statues ━ they are now living in our bookcase, and the Bird of Paradise plant, respectively.
saehae bog manh-i bad-euseyo
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