Tongdosa Temple: The Korean Temple That Needs No Buddha Statue

Iljumun Gate at Tongdosa Temple with calligraphy by Heungseon Daewongun

I walked into the main hall expecting a large golden Buddha — the kind you see at every Korean temple. Instead, the altar was bare. No statue, no image, just an open window at the back of the hall framing a stone platform outside. That single detail changed the entire visit. Tongdosa Temple, tucked into … Read more