Among the beautiful sights in Busan, the ridge from Geumjeongsan Mountain to Baegyangsan Mountain is the most spectacular. Seokbulsa Temple, located on the ridge, is a quiet temple surrounded by 100 m high rock walls.

As its name suggests, the temple features stone buddhas sculpted from rocks.
It was built by a monk named Jo Ilhyeon in the 1930s and became famous for its scenic beauty despite only being a branch of Beomeosa Temple and having a relatively short history.

The scenery offered by Seokbulsa Temple is completely different from those of other temples.
It boasts a unique atmosphere with its entrance connecting the basement with the ground and the Buddhist sanctum located among rocks.
The stone pagoda and the solid antique main sanctum is also something that tourists cannot ignore. The uphill path behind the stone pagoda runs into the rock walls, similar to walking into an unknown place in a movie scene.

The sculpted stone Buddhas of overwhelming heights as tall as 20–40 m exhibit the culmination of sophisticated Buddhist art. Moreover, the standing statue of 11-faced Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, located at the front of the temple, and the seated statue of Maitreya Buddha, located on top of the temple, are awe-inspiring to visitors. Silently gazing at the stone Buddhas, tourists seem to be so hypnotized by the statues that they cannot take the smiles off their faces.

Inside the temple are a total of 29 Buddha statues, including Four Guardian Kings on the sides of the gate, the Bhaisajyaguru Buddha and Vairocana Buddha carved on the stone wall, the Eight Arhats, and the Sakyamuni Buddha statue. The benevolent smile on the face of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, a Buddhist saint for all living things in pain in the present life, is also worth seeing.
Among others, the sophistication of Maitreya Buddha is the highlight. As such, it is reasonable to say that the whole Seokbulsa Temple is the culmination of Buddhist art.
Seokbulsa Temple, in possession of many stone Buddhas, was established by the monk Jo Ilhyeon in the 1930s.
Jo, the leader of the temple, may have predicted the future with surging visitors.
Recently, the temple became famous, thanks to a TV show on network television that selected the landscape image of the temple as “one beautiful photo.”

There are various scenic views that tourists can enjoy from the Seokbulsa Temple.
You can witness ardent Buddhist prayers blending to the rhythm of the moktak sound and enjoy the urban landscape down the mountain.
Then, you may understand even a little bit of the meaning of Buddha’s “mindfulness.”

Seokbulsa Temple has its own beautiful landscape.
It offers a tranquil atmosphere to visitors while they walk on the “nice path” to reach the temple.
Seokbulsa Temple is perfect for those who want to relax in a quiet temple away from the stifling city.