Recharge with a templestay
Need a break from the daily grind?
The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism will run a templestay program throughout July and August at 56 temples across the country, offering a respite for the summer season.
Dubbed the "Summer Special Templestay," the programs, open to the public, come in five different types.
Special experience temple stays include unique cultural and temple-related activities, such as taking a vow of silence for a day and a digital detox to intentionally reduce the amount of time people spend on their devices. The list includes surfing at Naksan Beach, a popular surfing spot near Naksansa, a temple in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province.
Designed specifically for kids, children's camp templestays offer a mix of fun, cultural, spiritual and creative experiences tailored for children during the school summer vacation. Young visitors can take part in water activities near a temple, enjoy a campfire, try their hands at farming and paint traditional temple patterns called "dancheong."
As the name suggests, family experience templestays are designed to bring families closer together. Activities include learning about the "Sutra on the Deep Kindness of Parents," sharing heartfelt conversations over tea, and going on a treasure hunt.
Intensive meditation templestays, which focus on the practice of deep meditation, include "seon" meditation, which involves repeatedly questioning one's inner self and surroundings.
Aimed at helping young people slow down and recharge, youth healing templestays include sessions such as performing the ritual 108 bows, writing letters to themselves and walking through a cypress forest.
Reservations can be made on the templestay program's official website (http://www.templestay.com), which offers detailed information about the schedule and the specific programs offered at each temple.
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Korea Herald
25-07-2025
- Korea Herald
Registration opens for English templestay program
Program to enroll 1,500 applicants on first-come, first-served basis Registration for an English templestay program for foreign nationals wishing to unplug from bustling city life and experience South Korea's Buddhist culture opened Friday. The first 1,500 applicants will be able to participate in the overnight program priced at 30,000 won ($21.77) that will run from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31, according to the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism — an arm of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea. The special templestay program designed for foreign visitors will be available at 47 temples across the country, with each temple offering a unique cultural experience, allowing participants to engage in traditional Korean Buddhist practices. They include a leisurely walk on a known for its scenic forest path at Hwagyesa in Seoul, making lotus lanters at Daewonsa in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, doing 108 prostrations and making prayer beads at Haeinsa in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, practicing seonmudo — a form of Korean Buddhist martial art — at Golgulsa in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province and engaging in meditation at Heungguksa in Goyang, just an hour's drive northwest of central Seoul.
Korea Herald
01-07-2025
- Korea Herald
Recharge with a templestay
Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism to run templestay programs at 56 temples in July and August Need a break from the daily grind? The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism will run a templestay program throughout July and August at 56 temples across the country, offering a respite for the summer season. Dubbed the "Summer Special Templestay," the programs, open to the public, come in five different types. Special experience temple stays include unique cultural and temple-related activities, such as taking a vow of silence for a day and a digital detox to intentionally reduce the amount of time people spend on their devices. The list includes surfing at Naksan Beach, a popular surfing spot near Naksansa, a temple in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province. Designed specifically for kids, children's camp templestays offer a mix of fun, cultural, spiritual and creative experiences tailored for children during the school summer vacation. Young visitors can take part in water activities near a temple, enjoy a campfire, try their hands at farming and paint traditional temple patterns called "dancheong." As the name suggests, family experience templestays are designed to bring families closer together. Activities include learning about the "Sutra on the Deep Kindness of Parents," sharing heartfelt conversations over tea, and going on a treasure hunt. Intensive meditation templestays, which focus on the practice of deep meditation, include "seon" meditation, which involves repeatedly questioning one's inner self and surroundings. Aimed at helping young people slow down and recharge, youth healing templestays include sessions such as performing the ritual 108 bows, writing letters to themselves and walking through a cypress forest. Reservations can be made on the templestay program's official website ( which offers detailed information about the schedule and the specific programs offered at each temple.
Korea Herald
04-05-2025
- Korea Herald
Temple cuisine: Meal away from distraction or desire
Balwoo Gongyang transforms monastic meal principles into a multi-course fine dining experience. In a city celebrated for its bold, spicy street food and electric culinary energy, Balwoo Gongyang offers something different: a meal of silence, simplicity and spiritual depth. Located directly across from the historic Jogyesa Temple in southeastern Seoul, Balwoo Gongyang is the only temple food specialty restaurant in South Korea operated by the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism — and it serves Korean temple food refined over centuries. 'Balwoo Gongyang' is the name of a traditional Korean Buddhist meal ritual, combining 'Balwoo' — the monk's set of wooden or lacquered bowls — and 'Gongyang,' meaning offering or meal. This practice embodies mindful, ritualized eating within the monastic tradition. Since earning a Michelin star for three consecutive years (2017–2019) and being selected for the prestigious Blue Ribbon Survey in 2023 and 2024, Balwoo Gongyang has remained one of Seoul's most revered destinations for conscious dining. For those unfamiliar, Korean temple food is entirely plant-based and prepared without five pungent ingredients — garlic, green onion, leek, wild chives and asafoetida — which are believed to distract the mind and inflame passions. It also forgoes artificial seasonings, animal products and stimulants. What remains is deceptively simple fare, made from seasonal ingredients, fermented sauces aged up to 20 years and preparation techniques passed down from monastic kitchens. At Balwoo Gongyang, these principles are elevated into a multi-course fine dining experience. A meal of meaning The restaurant offers four prix fixe course options designed to suit different levels of appetite and interest: the Seon (Meditation) Course, priced at 36,000 won ($25.00), the Won (Vow) Course, at 50,000 won; the Maeum (Mind) Course, at 70,000 won; and the most elaborate Hee (Joy) Course, at 120,000 won. The Won Course, a seven-part culinary meditation, introduces a wide range of temple flavors and textures. The meal began with Suljuksim, an amuse-bouche whose name translates to "moistening the mouth" or "moistening the spoon." A single cherry tomato marinated in fermented Korean fruit syrup delivered a subtle sweetness, cleansing the palate without overwhelming it. Next came the Bangpung-namul juk, a siler root porridge traditionally served as breakfast in temples. On its own, the porridge was nearly tasteless, but when paired with the third course, Sangmi, consisting of three cold seasonal dishes, its role was clear. One of the three cold seasonal dishes, bomnamul-geotjeori (fresh spring green salad), had a distinct bitterness that could challenge unaccustomed palates. Meanwhile, cheongpomuk, a mung bean jelly mixed with seaweed and greens, offered nutty and savory notes that paired beautifully with the porridge. A perilla-seed braise was soft with a mushy texture and slightly bitter aftertaste. The fourth course Dammi (hot preparations) and the fifth course Seongso (noodle dish) were served together. The standout was cold shiitake mushroom naengmyeon, served with julienned pear. The dish was subtly spicy, slightly sweet and aromatic — its flavors enhanced by a delicate umami from the mushrooms. Guests are advised to eat it quickly before the noodles bloat. Other items in this round included grilled tofu, rich and nutty with a slight crisp on the outside, and temple-style mandu, filled with finely chopped vegetables. The mandu was a bit dry, though flavorful, with earthy mushroom notes. A crunchy lotus root pickle added brightness, while burdock root stir-fry seemed included more for its health properties than taste. But the dish that stole the show was the deep-fried mushroom gangjeong, coated in a sweet gochujang glaze — rich, chewy and deeply satisfying without losing its grounding simplicity. The main course, or Youmi, was the most traditionally 'meal-like' part of the progression. Sticky lotus-leaf rice revealed ginkgo nuts and pine nuts inside, each bite fragrant with the aroma of the lotus. Alongside were two types of spring greens, one of which proved too bitter to enjoy fully, and a soybean paste soup with cabbage, mild and comforting. The temple-style kimchi, made without fish sauce or fermented shrimp, was crisp, clean and salad-like. The radish kimchi, however, was deeply pungent and might be difficult for first-timers. Ipgasim, or dessert, arrived in the form of basak-gangjeong, traditional rice snacks that were light, crispy and just sweet enough. A warm cup of wild magnolia blossom tea concluded the experience with floral, meditative aromas that evoked the peaceful stillness of a Buddhist shrine. Sacred in setting Balwoo Gongyang's setting is as integral to the experience as its food. The restaurant is quiet and intimate, with private rooms available for all guests, offering a serene and exclusive environment ideal for focused conversation or personal reflection. Servers wear traditional hanbok and explain each dish in calm, respectful tones. English explanations are available, making it accessible for international visitors as well. Due to the restaurant's popularity even on weekdays and during cultural events such as Buddha's Birthday on May 5, reservations are essential. Its proximity to Jogyesa Temple makes it the perfect stop before or after a temple visit. The experience at Balwoo Gongyang may challenge expectations — some dishes are intentionally bland, bitter or texturally unusual — but for those seeking to discover more about Korean Buddhist culture, or simply to slow down and reflect, it provides a memorable and contemplative journey.
