I’m really not up to day-long trips, right now. My energy-level is limited. However, it’s still important to get out of the house and I want to show at least some things to Wendy, too.
So I’ve been thinking of shorter half-day or several-hours-long trips we could do. I’ve long thought I should make more of an effort to visit things that are close by – landmarks, temples, parks, etc., that are right here in Goyang City. So many things are nearby that I never visit because it’s always that phenomenon of “I’ll be able to visit that any time I want” which boils down to never visiting it.
With that in mind, today we went to a temple called 흥국사 [heung guk sa] which is on the eastern edge of Goyang, up against where the city touches Seoul at the western end of Bukhansan National Park.
It turned out to be a rather rustic temple – not polished for the tourists, at all, just a working temple, a bit run down in areas. I actually like seeing places like this.
It took about an hour to get there: subway to Gupabal Station, then bus number 704 up the road that parallels the city limit between Seoul and Goyang for about 20 minutes to a rather rural-looking spot. Then walking up a one-lane road, up a narrow valley between two arms of a small mountain, to the temple.
Here are some pictures.
At the top of the road, here is the temple parking area.
A tourist map of Goyang on an announcement board.
The gathering area in front of the complex of buildings.
Looking up toward some of the buildings.
Bukhansan in the distance.
Eaves of two buildings, a hanging bell, and the peaks of Bukhansan in the distance.
A guy flying along.
A seashore scene.
A really nice painting up above the level where most of the panel paintings are, up under the eaves.
A dragon.
Some guys talking in what looks like a blue fog.
A guy riding a tiger.
Another nice panel painting.
Wendy is resting on some quarried stone for building curbs or steps. There was some construction going on at parts of the temple site.
Jared and the dragon.
Another view showing how unpopulated it was, there, and the western side of Bukhansan in the background.
Looking up at several buildings – Wendy is standing on the balcony on the building to the right.
Looking at the temple from the large gathering area in front of it.
A bored looking dog near the temple.
A hint of fall colors in the parking area.
Crossing a small stream on the small road near the main road (I think this stream is the city limit between Seoul and Goyang, but I’m not positive).
The sign for the temple at the main road where the bus stop is.
Then we got back on the bus and went back to the subway and I came home.
[daily log: walking, 3 km]
