Mireukdaewon Temple Site미륵대원지

At a glance

Mireukdaewon was a temple built like a man-made grotto: a chamber about 10 m square, walled with stone blocks 6 m high and once roofed by a wooden hall that has since disappeared, with a standing stone Buddha inside. Unlike almost every Buddha in Korea, it faces north, and KTO calls it the only one that does. Digs in 1977–78 turned up the temple's name, Mireukdaewonsa, while legend credits Prince Maui, the last crown prince of Silla, with founding it on his way to the Geumgangsan mountains. The site lies just below Haneuljae, a pass the Samguk Sagi records Silla opening in the year 156, and both the stone Buddha and a five-story stone pagoda are designated Treasures.

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Mireukdaewon Temple Site · 2 tours & tickets

1. KlookChungju 2-day tour: Mireukdaewonji & SuanboA 2-day Chungju tour from Seoul named for the Mireukdaewon temple site, which it visits along with a Suanbo hot spring foot bath, Chungju Lake and Gindeul village.Book
2. KKdayChungju 2-day tour: hot springs & lakeA two-day tour of Chungju with Chungju Lake views, a Suanbo hot-spring foot bath and an overnight stay, then the Mireukdaewon temple site and Chungju aquarium on day two.Book

Places to stay nearby

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Map

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Tips

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  Suanbo Hot Springs is in the same township, so the site pairs naturally with a spa stay.

Nearby

Mungyeongsaejae Provincial ParkThe old Yeongnam highway pass over the Baekdudaegan, with three Joseon gates, a historical-drama set and waterfalls along the trail.Mungyeong Pottery MuseumA free museum on Mungyeong's pottery tradition, from early Joseon buncheong and white porcelain kilns to today's potters, with hands-on classes.Suanbo Hot SpringsA long-established spa town in southern Chungju, where mildly alkaline hot spring water rises from about 250 m underground.Chungju LakeThe huge reservoir behind Chungju Dam, winding through Chungju, Jecheon and Danyang, with five piers for sightseeing boats.