Jajangam Hermitage

Tongdosa, the head temple of the 15th district of the Jogye Order, has as many as 19 hermitages attached to its grounds — Jajangam is one of them.

Its founding story goes back to the reign of Silla's King Jinpyeong, when the monk Jajang is said to have first practiced here in a simple hut built beneath a rock face. The exact dates of later reconstructions aren't fully clear, but the monk Hoebong is recorded as having rebuilt it, followed by a restoration in 1870 and another rebuilding by the monk Yongbok in 1963, giving it the form it holds today.

Entering the grounds, a rock-carved Buddha about 4 meters tall stands in front of Jajangjeon hall. Carved in 1896, it depicts a seated Amitabha Buddha at the center, flanked by the bodhisattvas Daeseji and Gwanseeum in relief. Behind Jajangjeon sits a stupa said to hold a relic of the Buddha that the monk Jajang brought back from Tang China.

It takes a short uphill walk from Tongdosa's main temple grounds, but the hermitage's cozy scale and the presence of the rock-carved Buddha make the climb worthwhile.