Donghwasa is probably my favorite temple in Korea.  I love everything about it.

So for Buddha’s Birthday, I decided to make a last minute trip.  It was very, very interesting, even if it wasn’t as awe-inspiring as the first time.  They were doing construction on the enormous 33m Buddha, so that was a mess.  And while I’m a lantern’s biggest fan, I don’t particularly care for walls of them that prevent me from seeing anything else.

In addition: I didn’t eat before I left.  My legs were extremely tired.  And, there were no seats on the one-hour bus ride home (not to mention that a group of really loud American college kids got on the bus right before me, making me a recipient of many angry stares as I was automatically lumped together with the other white people standing right beside me).

It did not help me achieve a state of nirvana.

But, I’m very glad I went.  It was a special day in many ways.

You can view the full photo set here.

*You can now click on the first thumbnail for a small pop-up lightbox that makes it easier to skim the photos.

Related posts:

1. Donghwasa Temple