Samcheok Gamrosa Temple Designated as Samcheok City's Fifth Traditional Temple

Samcheok City Designates Gamrosa Temple as a Traditional Temple for the First Time Since Local Government Launch
Number of Traditional Temples with Historical and Cultural Value Rises to Five in Samcheok

Samcheok Gamrosa Temple, affiliated with the 4th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and located at the foot of Botasan Mountain in Jeongsang-dong, Samcheok City, Gangwon Province, has been designated as a traditional temple according to the notice from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on September 18, 2025.

Samcheok Gamrosa Temple Overview. Provided by Samcheok City

Samcheok Gamrosa Temple was founded in 1960 by Venerable Bongseok of Damhodang. According to local histories and oral tradition, it is believed to have been established on the site of the former Gwaneumsa Temple.

Gamrosa Temple received conditional designation during the review by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Traditional Temple Designation Advisory Committee on June 25. After fulfilling the required conditions, the designation was finalized at the advisory committee meeting held on September 12.

Gamrosa Temple features a typical mountain temple layout, including the main hall Daeungjeon, Nahanjeon, Samseonggak, and Sanshingak. Notably, during the investigation for traditional temple designation, a minhwa painting of the Suryukdo type, with an inscription recording the year (1811) and the artist (Jeong Min), was discovered. This piece is considered a standard work for minhwa research and has also been submitted for designation as a cultural heritage of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province.

This traditional temple designation marks the first such case in Samcheok City since the launch of the local government administration and makes Gamrosa the fifth traditional temple in the city, following Cheoneunsa, Yeongeunsa, Sinhungsa, and Samjangsa. With this designation, Gamrosa Temple will be able to receive national and provincial funding to carry out various projects for the preservation of traditional temples, including temple restoration and the establishment of disaster prevention systems.

A city official stated, "With the designation of Gamrosa as a traditional temple by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, we will secure national and provincial funds to systematically maintain the temple and foster it as a leading cultural heritage site and religious-cultural space in the region."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.