Daeheungsa sits in a fold of the Duryunsan mountains, near the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, and the approach is half the reward. A long path runs beside a stream through an avenue of old trees, camellias, maples and cedar, and the sound of water follows you all the way up. The temple is among the more important in Korean Buddhism because of a monk named Hyujeong, known as Seosan Daesa, who led a force of warrior monks against the Japanese invasion of 1592. Before he died he asked that his robe and bowl be kept here, and the temple is now treated as the seat of that tradition. It is also tied to the history of Korean tea, since the monk Choui lived at a hermitage in its grounds and wrote on the subject.
The riding around is worth the detour. From Haenam, about eleven kilometres away, the road climbs through the ridge in a series of well-surfaced bends, with forest on one side and the valley falling away on the other. In autumn the colour is intense and the air is cool and clear. On weekends, the temple road fills with visitors, and parking can be difficult, so a weekday morning is gentler. To the west, the road runs on to Ttangkkeut, the Land's End of the peninsula, where the view stretches over islands and fishing boats.
Haenam is the place for fuel and food, a small agricultural town known for its cabbages, sweet potatoes and, more recently, its Korean-style banquet meals. Tteokgalbi, grilled rice-cake beef patties, and a table of local side dishes are standard in the region. At the temple, the shops at the entrance serve tea, noodles and simple vegetarian meals, and the monks run a temple stay programme for visitors who want to try the quiet life.
Etiquette is simple. Dress modestly, speak quietly, keep off the inner halls unless you are invited, and take shoes off where others do. Photography is allowed outside but discouraged inside. The weather can change fast in the mountains, and rain brings out the green on the cedar bark.