A taste of temple life
If you don’t have the time or inclination to do an overnight temple stay, try an abbreviated version at Seoul’s spectacular Bongeunsa Temple. Surrounded by skyscrapers in Seoul’s bustling business district, the temple is an oasis of serenity that dates back more than 1,200 years.
From 2-4 p.m. on Thursdays, Bongeunsa puts on a “temple life” program. Visitors get to practice meditation, have a tea ceremony and take a tour of the beautiful property, which includes the tallest Buddha statue in Korea. Everything is in English, it costs about $8 and no reservations are necessary. (Want more? Bongeunsa also offers the traditional overnight temple stays.)
Even if you don’t take part in Bongeunsa’s temple stay or temple life, it’s worth dropping by for a free visit — especially around the time of Buddha’s birthday in the spring. Row after row of colorful paper lanterns hang al fresco, and inside you’ll find the annual exhibition of ornate lanterns that double as works of art; bongeun.org.