When
Buddhism was transmitted from India to China, Indian temples, a complex of
sangharama and
stupas, became the architectural model for Chinese temples. During the
Han dynasty when Buddhism was first introduced to China, there were no Buddhist buildings for Indian missionaries, so they were housed in Honglusi (鴻臚寺), a government office. Also, multi-story wooden watchtowers originally built for defensive purposes were repurposed as
pagodas, leading to the formation of Chinese-style temple structure. This layout was later transmitted to the Korean Peninsula.
Three Kingdoms period In 372 (second year of the reign of King Sosurim),
Goguryeo adopted Buddhism from
Former Qin. Goguryeo temples typically have a “one pagoda three main halls” structure with buildings surrounding an octagonal multi-story wooden pagoda. This layout is thought to have influenced
Asuka-dera of Japan. In 384 (first year of the reign of
King Chimnyu),
Baekje adopted Buddhism from
Eastern Jin. The first Buddhist temple of Baekje is Bulgapsa built in 385. Baekje temples mostly follow a “single pagoda” layout where the gate, pagoda, main hall, and lecture hall are arranged in a straight line with corridors (회랑) surrounding the complex. This layout is thought to have influenced
Shitennō-ji of Japan.
Mireuksa is a notable example of Baekje temples. Through the
martyrdom of
Ichadon in 527 (14th year of the reign of
King Beopheung), Buddism was popularized in
Silla. The first Buddhist temple in Silla is Heungnyunsa ().
Hwangnyongsa is a notable example of Silla temples.
Unified Silla In
Unified Silla, Buddhism was promoted nationally and divided into various sects. Temples began to be built in mountains to combine nature and Buddhism so corridors turned into fences (담장). The "double pagoda" structure which places a pair of pagodas on the left and right sides of the main hall emerged in the 7th century. In the mid 8th century, the two pagodas began to be built in different forms, an example being Dabotap and Seokgatap of
Bulguksa. Also, bells such as
Bell of King Seongdeok began to be made in the mid 8th century.
Gameunsa and Bulguksa are notable examples of Unified Silla temples.
Goryeo After founding
Goryeo,
King Taejo built 10 temples in
Gaegyeong, its capital, and held , a national Buddhist ritual, to harmonize regions and Buddhist sects divided during the
Later Three Kingdoms Period. Goryeo also promoted Buddhism through policies such as , a government exam to select high-ranking monks. Within this context, temples expanded beyond their religious functions to take on broader social and economic roles. Spaces for storing ritual tools and hosting guests increased to accommodate large-scale Buddhist ceremonies. Buddhist halls were further specialized according to deity of worship such as
daeungjeon (building enshrining Buddha) and
gwaneumjeon (building enshrining
Gwanseeum Bosal).
Seon Buddhism led to the development of monks’ quarters and lecture halls for spiritual practice. As a result, worship spaces were divided into multiple zones with each zone having a main hall surrounded by subsidiary buildings. Meanwhile,
Tibetan Buddhism was introduced during the 13th-century invasion of the
Yuan dynasty, which influenced Goryeo Buddhist architecture such as
Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda.
Seongjusa, first built in the Baekje dynasty, is a notable example of temples which flourished in Goryeo.
Joseon As
Joseon was a
Confucian state, policies suppressing Buddhism were implemented. In the 16th century, monks were prohibited from entering the capital, which restricted the construction and operation of temples within cities. Temples expelled from the city constructed buildings using the slopes of mountains and pagodas became smaller or disappeared. Nevertheless, the religious character of Buddhism and its beliefs about the afterlife did not disappear even by late Joseon. For example,
King Sejo personally supported Buddhism by rebuilding
Naksansa. After the
Imjin War, Buddhism was revived outside of Seoul and large Buddhist buildings such as
palsangjeon of
Beopjusa were built. This is because regulations on Buddhism were lifted after the efforts of monk soldiers and commoners turned to Buddhism from Confucianism which does not address death. Buddhism in late Joseon incorporated various religious elements: behind
daeungjeon, buildings dedicated to
Bodhisattva such as
gwaneumjeon were placed and further in the back stood buildings enshrining indigenous gods such as
sansingak.
Modern era Temples such as
Woljeongsa were destroyed in the
Korean War and later rebuilt. Modern temples have multi-story buildings due to spatial constraint and are equipped with culture facilities such as bookstores. == Types ==