Welcome back.
One of Korea's major Buddhist temples is gathering much attention these days.
Bongeunsa, which is situated at the hillside of downtown Seoul near COEX is a symbol of Buddhist history in the heart of a modern metropolis.
And with the G20 Summit to take place this Thursday and Friday, extra preparations have been made to share the 5 thousand-year-old Buddhist temple with visitors.
To tell us more, our reporter Lee Ji-yoon joins us in the studio today.
Hello Ji-yoon.
[Reporter : ] Good to see you two.
So this week I got to visit Bongeunsa and before I go on, let me ask you guys.
Have you been to Bongeunsa before
[Reporter : ] Well, it was my first time ever visiting the temple!
And I have to say that I was quite amazed to see such a beautiful temple among a forest of buildings!
Bongeunsa is a place rich in not only Buddhist culture but also Korean tradition and history.
And to help visitors experience that and more the temple has been offering various programs for both Koreans and foreigners.
So let me take you to this special place which many ancient poems described as part of a "peaceful and nostalgic landscape".
Historic yet intricate architecture and scenic beauty are what make Bongeunsa a treasured place as it stands in the middle of Seoul, providing a rare treat for the eyes and an unforgettable experience for its visitors.
[Reporter : Lee Ji-yoon, jiyoonjlee@arirang.co.kr] "Just down the street from the COEX Convention Center is this Buddhist temple dating all the way back to 1498.
And as a living history and cultural legacy Bongeunsa is a popular place for not only Korean believers and residents to visit but also many foreign visitors."
With over 250-thousand registered believers at Bongeunsa the temple is not only a place of worship but a place to see and experience well-preserved Korean culture and artifacts amid skyscrapers.
[Interview : Venerable Bub-sung, Bongeunsa] "The land where COEX stands now used to be part of Bongeunsa. This temple is a natural beauty built among a forest of buildings."
Hundreds of believers come to attend the Buddhist ceremonial service each day while others just come to enjoy the cool autumn breeze walking through the buildings and statues.
[Interview : Douglas McCallum, Temple visitor
United States] "It's a lot more peaceful than what you will see elsewhere in Seoul. I've enjoyed being here. You don't feel like you're in the middle of downtown when you're standing here."
A special 2-hour temple stay program is also offered to foreign visitors every Thursday.
During the program which is all conducted in English participants get the special chance to take part in a tea ceremony and learn zen meditation.
[Interview : Venerable Mu-sung, Bongeunsa] "This program will help spread our 5,year-old Buddhist culture to our visitors. And aside from religion, I hope people will be able to have time to look back on themselves and let go of emotional burdens while meditating."
Jocelyn Phillips is a visitor from New York and she says she's glad to have taken part in the program to learn new things about Buddhist lifestyle.
[Interview : Jocelyn Phillips, Temple visitor
United States] "I think that before I learned about the tea ceremony, I didn't know that drinking tea could be a meditative process so learning the meditative side of serving tea was really interesting."
Meanwhile a traditional lantern exhibition is also being featured at Bongeunsa in celebration of the country's hosting of the G20 Seoul Summit.
Here, visitors will be able to get a glimpse of Korea's traditional lantern culture as more than 40 different types of lanterns made of Korean traditional paper, Hanji, are showcased throughout Bongeunsa.
[Interview : Jeon Young-il, Designer
Bongeunsa Lantern Festival] "Since Bongeunsa is just across the street from the place where the G20 meeting will be taking place, many foreign visitors will be coming here. So I wanted to take this chance to introduce our beautiful temple along with our exquisite lantern culture."
With its easy geographic access Bongeunsa is expected to be packed with visitors during the G20 Summit.
And with the hopes of spreading Buddhist culture and Korean history, Bongeunsa will keep its doors open for everyone despite some expected congestion in the surrounding areas during the international summit.
I didn't know they offered those temple stay programs there!
Well, before we let you go Ji-yoon, is there anything else you would like to tell us about Bongeunsa[Reporter : ] Yes, glad you asked.
First thing to mention is that Bongeunsa's temple stay programs have been fully booked for foreign diplomats and the media this week during the G20 Summit, so please take that into consideration when you visit the temple this week.
The 24-hour temple stay which is open for both Koreans and foreigners includes activities like attending the Buddhist ceremonial service, tea ceremonies, Buddhist meals and meditation.
And like I mentioned before the 2-hour temple LIFE program, which takes place every Thursday is a shortened version of a temple stay and is conducted all in English.
Lastly, the lanterns which you saw in the video light up around five-thirty in the afternoon everyday and will stay lit until this Saturday, November 13th.
Wow, a lot going on there Ji-yoon.
Well, thanks for all your helpful information today and we'll be seeing you soon.
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