Gilsangsa Temple길상사

About this place

Gilsangsa Temple is a serene Buddhist temple nestled at the foot of Samgaksan in Seongbuk-dong, founded in 1997 after the owner of the upscale restaurant Daewongak donated 7,000 pyeong of land and buildings to Venerable Beopjeong, inspired by his celebrated essay on non-possessiveness. The temple grounds are dotted with reminders of the monk's philosophy and feature tranquil gardens, traditional pavilions, and seasonal colour — cherry blossoms in spring, autumn foliage and red spider lilies in fall. The temple also runs a temple-stay programme that international visitors can join.

Good to know

Address

68 Seonjam-ro 5-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

Hours

Always open

There are no fixed opening hours. Neither the temple's own site, nor the Seongbuk-gu culture and tourism pages, nor the Korea Tourism Organization publishes visiting hours or closing days, and Visit Seoul states that "opening hours vary depending on the ceremony and temple schedule." There is no ticket office or gate barring entry, and no admission fee. If you are planning to arrive at a particular hour, call the temple office on +82-2-3672-5945 to be sure. Keep quiet during services; temple stays are a separate bookable programme.

Sources

Confirmed 2 October 2026

• english.visitseoul.net

Find more photos

Photo spots nearby

• Seongbuk-dong10 min by transit