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Perched along a craggy rock overhang, the ornate Buddhist temple provides sweeping views of the sea, making it a popular place to watch the sun rise against the beauty of Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city.
But Haedong Yonggungsa is so much more than a place of worship.
The temple has become the number-one attraction that international tourists want to see when they come to the city, according to local travel companies. The contrast of the tall white Buddhist statues against the dramatic rock formations and the crashing crest of waves is striking, and that’s not a coincidence: Its location was chosen according to the principles of pungsu jiri, which is similar to feng shui — the spot between the mountains and the sea was considered lucky.
It’s instantly recognizable among the social media-savvy set, who have made Haedong Yonggungsa a visual as synonymous with Busan as the Harbour Bridge in Sydney or the Statue of Liberty in New York — something they can identify even if they’ve never set foot there.
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