King Jeongjo and Yongjusa Temple

Yongjusa Temple in Hwaseong was founded by King Jeongjo, who reigned over the country during that time. Under the atmosphere of suppressing Buddhism and promoting Confucianism as the ruling idea, this temple was founded because the Buddhist ideology was deeply rooted within the royal family.

There are a few symbolizations of Yongjusa Temple.

King Jeongjo built Yongjusa Temple as a way to fulfill his filial piety and to pray for the soul of his father, Prince Sado. It is said that when the devoted son, King Jeongjo, missed his father from time to time; he will always visit his father’s tomb in person and always stopped by Yongjusa Temple and asked the people to take good care of his father’s tomb.

Other than King Jeongjo’s filial piety, Yongjusa Temple was built to consolidate his regime and the change of view in Buddhism. King Jeongjo was prone to the suppression of Buddhism in the early days of his reign. However, the fact that he founded Yongjusa Temple indicated his change of attitude toward Buddhism. Besides, King Jeongjo built Youngjusa Temple to regain his father’s honor, and in doing so, he also solidified his own orthodoxy.

After learning the background of Yongjusa Temple and King Jeongjo, maybe you can spend some time here and feel the calm combining the filial piety and faith in Buddhism.