GANGHWA COUNTY

Seonwonsa Temple site, Ganghwa

This temple was built by General Choi Wu after the transfer of capital to Ganghwado in the 32nd year of king Gojong(1245). This is one of two largest temples of the country, Songgwangsa temple and this one.

It is believed this temple contained 500 golden Buddha statues. For the project of carving Buddha scriptures an official, Daejang-Dogam was appointed to perform the great work of carvings and enshrined them to this temple. These carved scriptures were transferred to Hanyang capital of Joseon in 1398 and again moved to Haeinsa temple during the reign of Saejo (1456), of Joseon dynasty.

The seonwonsa temple site had been unknown until the time the Ganghwado study investigation group of Dong-guk university found it in 1976 and identified as the historical seonwonsa temple site.