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| Daewon Temple's dragon entrance / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington |
By Hallie Bradley
It's said again and again, once you've seen one Korean temple, you've seen them all. Ask Dale Quarrington, though, and that's a mistake.
"In a nebulous sense, yes, they all do look the same in their symmetry and outward appearance," began the foreign resident of Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. "But if you look closely, and you understand what you're looking at, a world of difference reveals itself."
Quarrington is the owner and writer of KoreanTempleGuide.com and recently he released his third book on the subject titled "Korean Temples: The Weird and Wonderful" in which he hopes to dispel the notion that all Korean temples are the same.
The red-and-green facades with Buddhist scenes and flowers painted from floor to rafter are what most people first notice when they approach a Korean temple. The colors that are consistent across temples make it seem as though they are one and the same until you come to a place like Daewon Temple in Pohang.
"Daewon Temple has a 100-meter-long life-size dragon that winds its way from the lower to upper courtyard," Quarrington explained. "Dragons have multiple meanings in Korea, one of which is good luck. And you'll find dragons all throughout Korean Buddhist temples."
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| Seonji Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington |
He added, "Another meaning of a dragon is as a protector of the Buddhist teachings. And at Daewon Temple, you first have to go through the mouth of the dragon to enter into the main hall. So quite literally, the dharma's teachings are protected in the belly of the dragon."
Originally from Tottenham, Canada, Dale came to Korea in the autumn of 2003, and since he first landed he's been drawn to the Buddhist temples he saw around him. "I have a personal interest in art, and my academic background is in history and religion. So, Korean Buddhist temples seem to be a great synergy of both my personal and academic interests," he shared.
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| The cover of "Korean Temples: The Weird and Wonderful" by Dale Quarrington / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington |
Whether it is dragons, a Jesus statue that sits alongside the Historic Disciples of the Buddha, or even Osama Bin Laden, there are intriguing things to see at temples all around Korea. The new book aims to provide information that's rare in English.
The book includes vivid detail on the artwork, architecture and geography of the unique temples as well as 30 color maps, a national map of the temples and beautiful landscape photos to share the breathtaking and bizarre things that can be found across the country.
While it's not just a guidebook, though can act as that for travelers hoping to take an eccentric adventure, it is also a wealth of knowledge that can be used to plan future travels or just to delve into the world of Korean Buddhism.
Quarrington had initially intended to release the book in March of this year, but delayed it due to COVID-19.
"Korean Temples: The Weird and Wonderful" can be purchased on Amazon.com in either paperback or e-book.
He will also be giving a lecture for the Royal Asiatic Society Korea on Oct. 13 in connection with his book. The lecture, held on Zoom, is free for everybody to join.
Hallie Bradley is a writer based in Seoul and runs the popular site thesoulofseoul.net.
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