Tucked into the wooded slopes of Cheondeungsan, a modest mountain north-west of Andong in North Gyeongsang province, Bongjeongsa is a temple that wears its age quietly. Its main claim to fame is a small, plain hall called Geungnakjeon, believed to be the oldest surviving wooden building in Korea, dating back to the Goryeo dynasty. Repairs in the twentieth century turned up records suggesting the hall had been rebuilt in the thirteenth century, which makes it older than almost anything else made of timber in the country. Bongjeongsa is one of seven mountain monasteries inscribed by UNESCO in 2018 as Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea.
The temple feels lived in rather than preserved. Monks still practise here, and the courtyard is calm, with stone lanterns, old pine trees and the sound of wind chimes. A short walk up the slope leads to Yeongsanam, a small hermitage with a lovely garden and terraced buildings that has appeared in Korean films. When Queen Elizabeth II visited Korea in 1999, she came to Andong and this temple, and locals still mention it.
Andong is a city that takes its traditions seriously. It is known as a centre of Confucian learning, home to Hahoe Folk Village and the Dosan Seowon academy, both listed by UNESCO. Its food is famous too: salted mackerel, once carried inland from the coast, jjimdak, a braised chicken dish with glass noodles and chilli, and Andong soju, a strong distilled spirit.
The riding around Andong is varied and pleasant. Country roads wind through hills, orchards and rice paddies, and the big reservoir of Andong Lake has scenic roads along its shores. The final stretch to the temple is a short climb on a narrow road through forest, with a car park at the end. Remember that motorbikes are barred from Korean expressways, so national roads are your routes in. Spring blossom and autumn foliage are the most beautiful times, and autumn especially, when the maples blaze red around the temple roofs.
Andong, about eleven kilometres away, has fuel, shops, markets and countless restaurants. If you stop in town, try the mackerel at a market stall, or a bowl of heotjesabap, a mild rice dish once served to scholars, before riding up to the temple in the quieter hours of the afternoon.