High in the forested folds of Gayasan, in South Gyeongsang province, a temple keeps one of the great treasures of the Buddhist world. Haeinsa holds the Tripitaka Koreana, more than eighty thousand wooden printing blocks carved in the thirteenth century with the complete Buddhist scriptures, an act of devotion undertaken while the Mongols were invading Korea, in the hope that the Buddha's protection would save the country. The blocks are kept in the Janggyeong Panjeon, a pair of long, plain wooden halls built in the fifteenth century, and the halls are the real marvel. Their design uses natural ventilation, windows of different sizes on opposite walls, and a floor packed with charcoal, lime, clay and salt to regulate humidity and temperature, and they have protected the blocks for centuries without modern technology. The halls were listed by UNESCO in 1995.
Visitors can look through the slatted windows at the shelves of blocks but cannot enter the halls. The rest of the temple is lively, with monks, pilgrims and visitors, and the setting is beautiful, with wooded ridges and streams all around. Haeinsa offers temple stay programmes, where you can spend a night following the rhythm of monastic life, including the dawn ceremony with drums and bells.
The valley leading up to the temple, Hongnyu-dong, is famous for its autumn colours, when the maples along the stream turn fiery red, and the stream tumbles over rocks and pools. Gayasan National Park offers hiking trails to the rocky summit, with views across the mountains of southern Korea.
The riding to the temple is a pleasure, with winding roads through valleys and over hills, past villages, rice fields and orchards. The final approach climbs gently along the stream through the forest. Traffic is moderate, heavier on weekends and in autumn, when visitors flock to see the colours. Remember that South Korea bars motorcycles from its expressways, so plan your route along national and provincial roads. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; summer is hot and humid, with heavy rain during the monsoon.
Fuel is available in the small towns of Hapcheon county, and the nearest larger town listed is Waegwan, about thirty-four kilometres away. Restaurants near the temple serve sanchae bibimbap, rice with mountain vegetables, a fitting meal after a visit.