Haeinsa Temple - South Korea

Unesco's Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization has recognized Korea's Haeinsa Temple as a World Cultural Heritage in 1995.

Haeinsa Temple - World Cultural Heritage in Korea

Haeinsa Temple also known as Hai An Tu was built in 802 on Mount Gaya, in South Gyeongsang Province. Haeinsa Temple is known not only for its outstanding architecture but also for its retention of the Tripitaka Koreana - the set of ancient Buddhist scriptures. The Tripitaka Koreana is a collection of more than 81,258 wooden panels with carved Buddhist scriptures on it and has been kept here since 1398.

Known for its beautiful blend of rugged peaks, peaceful valleys with whispering streams among lush, leafy foliage, Gayasan Mountain is said to be named after the Buddha mountain, at Gaya, India, where Shakyamuni Buddha cultivated the righteous result.

When referring to Haeinsa Temple, all Koreans associate with the Tripitaka Koreana, because this wood-carving scriptures are the most complete and ancient Buddhist scriptures in the world. This is also one of the reasons that this small temple in the valley in the middle of this deep mountain is still more famous than all the temples built in recent centuries. Haeinsa is one of the three largest temples on the Korean peninsula representing the 'Buddhist Three Jewels ', which is Buddha, Dharma and rising.

Besides the daily missionary duty, this temple is also responsible for protecting their 'treasures ', which are 81,258 woodblocks used to print Buddhist scriptures, which have been present at the temple since. 1398. This is the unique cultural heritage that proves the development of important cultural assets, of society, science, art and industry.

The buildings contain the Buddhist scriptures called the Janggyeong Pangeon, which was built in the 15th century according to traditional wooden architecture that is not only architecturally beautiful but also very scientific and used for a single purpose. that is to protect the wooden slabs. It is specially designed to produce natural ventilation as well as to regulate air temperature and humidity so that it can be adapted to climate conditions and therefore, for more than 500 years, precious wood panels That price still exists without being damaged by termites or insects. With its religious importance, the Tripitaka Koreana Buddhist scriptures are also preserved relics in perfect conditions, demonstrating the outstanding achievements of ancient Koreans in the field of science and technology. , especially in the field of printing and publishing.

The Tripitaka wooden plates in Haeinsa are engraved when the Korean Buddhists appeal to the heads of Buddhist organizations to help protect Korea against Mongol invasions . The texts engraved on these logs are recognized by Buddhist scholars around the world for their superior accuracy with high quality. Chinese Buddhist scholars have also used Tripitaka Koreana to compare with their collections. The carved wooden plates here are also of great value because the delicate carvings of Chinese characters are expressed quite often and therefore some people claim that they are the product of a single hand.

It can be affirmed that this collection is an invaluable cultural heritage because of its great historical significance at the same time in relation to ideology, religion, historical events as well as the experiences of personal.

Because Tripitaka wood panels in Haeinsa are considered the most complete and complete version of Buddhist scriptures worldwide, this is a popular destination for pilgrims, not just Korean Buddhists. but also Buddhists and scholars from all over the world. Currently, there are about 500 monks living in Haeinsa, studying the Buddha's teachings and protecting the Tripitaka Koreana.