Pohyon temple

Pohyonsa
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	보현사
Hancha
Revised Romanization	Bohyeonsa
McCune–Reischauer	Pohyŏnsa

Pohyon-sa is a Korean Buddhist temple located in Hyangsan county in North Pyong'an Province, North Korea. It is located within the Myohyang Mountains. Founded under the Koryo dynasty at the start of the 11th century, the temple flourished as one of the greatest centers of Buddhism in the north of Korea, and became a renowned place of pilgrimage. Like most other temples in North Korea, the complex suffered extensive damage from US bombing during the Korean War. The temple is designated as National Treasure #40 in North Korea, with many of its component buildings and structures further declared as individual national treasures.

Pohyon Temple was founded under the Koryo dynasty in 1024 and named for the Buddhist deity Samantabhadra (known as Pohyon Posal in Korean).

During the Imjin Wars, when Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered several attempted invasions of Korea, the temple became a stronghold for bands of warrior monks led by the great saint Sosan. At age 73, he led bands against the Japanese armies, even assisting recapture Pyongyang from the Japanese. He died at the temple in 1604. During the war, the temple was charged with protection the Chonju copy of the four Annals of the Yi Dynasty, which was secured in the nearby Puryong Hermitage. This copy was the only one to survive the war.

In 1951, at the start of the Korean War, the complex was bombed by US forces, who destroyed over half of its 24 pre-war buildings, including the main prayer hall. Several have since been reconstructed.

Pohyon temple features extensive grounds. While most of the important buildings are located along an axis centered on Taeung Hall, much of the center of the temple is taken up by a large lawn surrounded by various other halls and shrines.

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