On the 19th of May, nearly two thousand years before Christoper Columbus stumbled upon the Americas, Siddhartha Gautama—later to become Buddha upon finding enlightenment—was born in the land now called Nepal. This made visiting Myeongbeopsa Temple an appropriate family outing.
You’ve probably never heard of Myeongbeopsa Temple (and you’ll be hard pressed to find any information on Google). For sure, it’s no Angkor Wat (Cambodia), nor a Shwedagon Pagoda (Burma/Myanmar), nor indeed, a Borobudar (Indonesia). But, that is also its allure.
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| Sanctuary of Slience |
Myeongbeopsa is a bijou attraction, bunkered in Deokdongsan Neighborhood Park in downtown Pyeongtaek. It has a benign charm that is easy to overlook, particularly with a rich tapestry of temple-competition within the province and further afield.
Dismissing Myeongbeopsa, however, would be a mistake for several reasons that aren’t immediately clear. Over the years, when traveling around Asia, many backpackers search for their own understanding of authenticity. Some of us traipse to the tribes around Chiang Mai, while others search for beaches unblemished by fellow tourist-compatriots. Myeongbeopsa offers a glimpse of that sought authenticity (without hordes of visitors constantly disembarking their coaches), and a chance to pause from the fleet world around us: this is, after all, where Pyeongtaek’s locals go to pray and make their offerings.
For me, this is reason enough to seek out Myeongbeopsa. But there are others, too. As someone who’s been to every Asian country from Myanmar to Japan, I’ve seen more temples than I can remember; most, save for the spectacular and the unique, fade from memory in time. What Myeongbeopsa lacks in obvious magnificence, it inspires the amateur photographer with unusual features worthy of note. The first is an avenue of statues to various deities that are clustered to the right-hand side of the site that reminded me of the carved workmanship of Budapest’s old fortress. I’ve never seen such a comparable assemblage at a Korean—or Asian—temple before. Secondly, the paneled images painted up the five-tiered tower that draw the eye to the raised site, are exquisite, and well worth a closer study ( made possible without anonymous bodies taking endless selfies). There are, of course, other mainstays of Buddhist temples, too, including the beautifully painted alcoves and the vaulted roof, replete with open-mouthed dragon and a rudimentary astronomical structure to the rear.
What I’ve always loved and marveled about temples tucked away amongst the skyscrapers and cackle and beeps of urbanity, including Myeongbeopsa, is the effortless, sublime respite such temples provide when modern life is just meters away in all directions - it’s hardly surprising Pyeongtaek’s faithful come here to mediate. This also makes Myeongbeopsa an ideal spot for creative types.
If temple-spotting isn’t your thing, or Myeongbeopsa fails to stimulate, up the stairs to the right leads one into a wooded area situated upon a shallow hill. The worn-down soil that inevitably makes roughshod trails are not designed for excursion; rather, the tree cover offers a measure of protection from the humidity beyond the foliage - a welcome escape. The site, sadly, doesn’t afford total refuge from modern urban living: apartment complexes pierce the tree canopy at irregular junctures, slightly breaking the spell of yester-world. At the end of this short ramble, a sturdy climbing apparatus offers playtime for rambunctious children.
For a place of modest means, it packs a punch, offering both a newcomer or an experienced temple-hunting-expat a solid, formal example of Korea’s rich Buddhist culture right on one’s doorstep, but it’s not the kind of place that is going to take up all of your day. Small, inner-city temples like Myeongbeopsa are like cool, refreshing sorbets helping to reset one’s palate during a multi-course dining experience. Temples such as these offer a slice of peace and respite - something we all need after the last 18 months of COVID.
Other images: votive offerings; the five-tiered painted pagoda; religious statuary; and, the entrance to the wooded hill.
This article is written by Thomas David Dowling a PIEF Foreign Reporter
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