Yeongpyeongsa Temple

Character

Yeongpyeongsa was founded in 1987. One of its clearest cultural roles comes from a much older practice: Buddhist nakhwa, a fire rite transmitted to founder Hwanseong before the temple existed and designated Sejong intangible heritage in 2024

The temple remains an active Jogye Order practice center on Janggunsan, with regular worship, meditation and Templestay programs. Its public identity has also grown through the landscape Hwanseong cultivated around the precinct, especially the white Siberian chrysanthemums that draw large autumn crowds

The experience

On an ordinary day, Yeongpyeongsa reads as a compact mountain temple. The main halls, small hermitages and planted grounds sit close together, so a short visit can move easily between worship space, garden and the quieter edges of the precinct

Season changes the atmosphere substantially. Spring flowers and summer lotus give way to dense white chrysanthemums in autumn, when the grounds can become far busier. The flower festival grew from Hwanseong's own planting and became one of the temple's main points of contact with a broad public

Buddhist nakhwa belongs to scheduled ritual occasions. It uses paper, charcoal, salt and incense to make hanging bundles that are lit while dharani are recited and prayers are offered for protection and well-being. An ordinary temple visit and attendance at the rite are different experiences, both tied to the same active religious community

History

Hwanseong came to the present site in 1987 after years of Seon practice and established Yeongpyeongsa initially as a place for personal cultivation. Public religious work gradually expanded around it, and the temple was later registered as Traditional Temple No. 78

His relationship with Buddhist nakhwa began earlier. In 1975, while practicing at Buseoksa in Seosan, Hwanseong learned the rite from an older monk. The ceremony belongs to a longer Buddhist tradition of fire observation connected with lantern assemblies; over time the older practice disappeared from most temples

At Yeongpyeongsa, the transmission continued. Hwanseong and the temple's preservation community restored the rite to public performance in 2022, and Sejong designated Buddhist nakhwa as intangible cultural heritage in February 2024. Sejong City described it at designation as the country's only current case performed as a temple Buddhist rite

Other forms of public practice developed alongside it. Yeongpyeongsa was already running Templestay programs in 2005. A Sejong village archive records about 6,000 Templestay participants in 2024, including roughly 100 international visitors, and notes that the temple was selected as a top Templestay operator in 2023

Before you go

Decide whether you want to visit the temple itself or take part in a programmed experience. The grounds can be visited independently, while Templestay requires a separate reservation and Buddhist nakhwa is performed on specific ritual occasions

During major flower or ritual events, the atmosphere is much busier than on a normal temple day. For a quieter visit centered on the precinct and daily religious life, choose a time outside the large seasonal gatherings and treat worship areas as active religious space