Last weekend my husband & I took went on a tour of the local Buddhist temple.

(Well, a do-it-yourself-there’s-no-tour-guide-&-no-English-anywhere tour that would’ve been so much better had I known more about it while we were there.)

So what follows is the research I’ve been able to dig up on Silleuksa Temple now that we’re back home & back at work.

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This is one of the buildings in Buddhist temple in the southern Gyeonggi Province of South Korea.

It’s the only river-side temple in all of South Korea & it’s also one of the smallest.

The buildings are nestled high-up in the rock face of the Namhan River…so it’s a bit of a climb in certain spots.

The temple had already been in existance for some time when it was first documented in 1376 & some estimate it was first built in the 800’s.

Like all things ancient, it’s been built, burned, re-built bigger, burned again, re-built even bigger yet again & rededicated several times over.

It’s an active temple…monks & nuns live here, worship here, hold services here.

Looking up at the roof beams you can feel the weight of this building’s age.

The paint’s become very faded…you can see exposed wood drying & splitting in some spots…but the faint outlines of the geometric shapes are still there.

(I wonder if they’ll repaint it…or leave it as is?…If you were the conservator, what would you do?)

I have no clue what this building is named…or it’s exact purpose….or it’s exact age. It just looks like a large, open prayer hall to me.

As a graphic designer, I’m just amazed by all the lines, the curves…the colors…the designs.

The building seemed empty for the moment…although there was a monk here & there walking back & forth.

But look inside…even the ceilings are ellaborately decorated & designed.

When I made my way around to the back side of the building, I spotted him…

…working away.

I think he was scraping paint off the doors.

Maybe they are going to repaint everything afterall.

I just love this shot – I think it’s my favorite so far. But you should’ve seen me trying to take it.

Focus on him…fudge, he sees me…turn away quickly….pretend to look over there…try to sneak back…careful, carefull…now, quick! Re-focus on him…fudge it!

I did this dance about 2 or 3 times before I finally snagged this one.

I just really wanted to catch him in the moment – not some ’smile-for-the-crazy-American-lady’ posed shot.

I wonder what he must’ve thought of me.

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