Bongeunsa Temple

Bongeunsa temple is located right next to the COEX convention and exhibition center. You can get off at Samsung station from the subway and make your way through the exhibition center to get here. It is a temple located smack down in the center of the city, and it still keeps its traditional charms even when it is surrounded by tall sky scrapers. 

The size of the temple area isn't too big so you could pretty much see everything located around this temple in about 30 minutes. 

The main attraction for me was the gigantic Buddha statue. It was colossal in size and there was a sense of majesty and power. 

I stopped by this place because I had to visit COEX for the art fair, but I had also wanted to enjoy the weather and do some outdoor activities before spending a majority of my time indoors. When I arrived at the temple it was around 8 AM and it was pretty empty, so I had time the time and space to chill and reflect on myself. 

If you ever stop by COEX, I recommend this temple area. It's a nice short introduction to what temples are generally like in Korea, and it's a refreshing break from the angular, city landscape.