 | Introduction to Pomosa |
Pomosa is a Buddhist Temple located on Mt. Kumjong in Pusan, Korea. The name Pomosa means "Temple of the Fish from Nirvana" and Mt. Kumjong is the "Mountain of the Golden Well" Of all the temples in Korea, this is my favorite. I have visited it numerous times and have enjoyed my visit each time. The goal of this web site is to introduce Pomosa and explain its purpose and symbolism.
Pomosa is currently administered by the Chogye Order, a Son (or Zen - Meditative) sect of Korean Buddhism. There are halls dedicated to the major Mahayana buddahs and bodhisattvas including: Sakyamuni (Seokkamoni), Vairocana (Birojana), Maitreya (Mireuk), Avalokitesvara (Gwanseum) & Ksitigarbha (Jijang).
The temple complex has several buildings and other objects which are designated as official treasures:
National Treasure 250 - Three Story Stone Pagoda
National Treasure 434 - Daeungjeon
Tangible Cultural Asset 2 - Iljumun
Tangible Cultural Asset 11 - Wonhyoam Eastern Pagoda
Tangible Cultural Asset 12 - Wonhyoam Western Pagoda
Tangible Cultural Asset 15 - Flag Pole Holder
Tangible Cultural Asset 16 - Stone Lamp
| Hermitages of PomosaIn addition to the main temple compound, there are eleven smaller temples or hermitages called "am" in Korean. Information on these temples can be found by following this link. |
| History of Pomosa |
Pomosa was built originally in 678 A.D. and is one of the ten great Hawom temples built by the monk, Uisang. At its largest, during the Koryo dynasty, it was much larger than it is today - with over 360 rooms and more than a thousand monks in residence. The temple was burned to the ground in 1592 during the Japanese Imjin Invasion. It was reconstructed in 1602, but was burned again by an accidental fire. In 1613 it was rebuilt again. The Main Hall (Daeungjeon) and the front gate (Iljumun) date to this reconstruction.
| The Temple's NamePomosa is a Chinese-based name that means Temple of the Nirvana Fish.
There are several romanization systems for Korean and the name "pomosa" can be written many other ways, including: Beomeosa, Pŏm'ŏsa or Bomosa. The o-sound in Pomosa is not the same as the long-o in English. Instead, it is pronounced by saying a long-o sound while keeping one's mouth open wide. Pomosa is pronounced "Fànyúsì" in Mandarin and "Hangyoji" in Japanese. |
| DirectionsPomosa is located in the north part of Pusan, Korea. It is accessible from the subway (line 1 - Pomosa station). From the station walk east up the road to the #90 bus stop (about 200 meters) the bus runs every 30 minutes. Or hire a taxi; the trip should not exceed the standard fare by too much. |
| ContactsThe phone number for the temple is +82 (51) 508-3122 The Temple's address is:
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I am still learning about this temple. I do not understand the purposes of all the buildings. If you have any additional information about Pomosa feel free to contact me. I am also looking for good pictures of many parts of the temple. If you have any you are willing to let me post, contact me about that too.
Mail me at: webmaster@pomosa.com.
