An integral part of the Korean landscape, Buddhist temples offer you a glimpse of Buddhism and its influence in the region. A visit to them is inevitable during your Buddhist tourism to Korea since there are more than 10,000 of them. Most of these temples are scattered throughout the mountains and valleys, however, many of them are also located in the cities. The ones located in the mountain are the major drawers of tourists because apart from revealing so much about Buddhism, a trip to these temples also provide much needed respite from the hustle-bustle of the city life.

In Korea, each temple has its individual layout but in general, there are gates (three in number), a Main Buddha Hall, monks quarters, guests rooms, kitchens, meditation and study halls. Apart from this, a temple might also include any number of lesser halls, pavilions and shrines. The Main Buddha Hall is the most important building and lies in the direct line of the gates. Important shrines found in the temple include Hall of Avalokitesvara (Bodhisattva of Compassion) and the Judgment Hall (for funerals and memorial services). Quiet often shrines to the Big Dipper and the local Mountain God that reflect Buddhism's amalgamation with folk religions are also found in the temple. Pagodas, stone lanterns, stupas, memorial steles and other artifacts are other attractions that you can see in the temple compound during your visit.

While paying a visit, you will realise that a whole lot of these temples have names that end with sa. The reason for this is that in Korean language, sa translates into temple. Some of the most important temples that you must pay a visit to during your trip include Beomeosa, Beopjusa, Haeinsa, Tongdosa and Donghaksa.

Tongdosa, Haeinsa and Songgwangsa are the Three Jewel Temples of Korea that each stand for a jewel of Buddhism - Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The Three Jewel temples are a bit different other Buddhist temples of Korea because unlike latter, the former do not have daeungieon or the Central Hall as the most important building. Rather, in the Three Jewel temple, the most important building is the one that highlights the individual jewel of the temple.

Further details about each of the temple is given in this section. Know about their location, history, architecture, structures before you actually pay a visit to them and make your trip one of the most enjoyable and learning experience of your life.