Gwangju International Center

The Review of GIC Suncheon Tour "Temple Stay Diary"

Written by Tom Reid

The GIC’s November Culture Tour was a particularly special one – a Greatest Hits record of the Jeonnam area. We began with a stop at Suncheon’s deservingly famous spot of natural beauty – The Suncheon Bay. We took a short walk through the wet lands over a well-designed board walk. As we went we observed some of the fascinating wildlife the bay is both known and protected for. The bay is used as a resting area for many migrating birds. Astonishingly 50% of an entire species of goose uses the bay on their southern migration. This an important reminder to anyone unconvinced of the need to preserve this special piece of Korea. Our group then took the short, sharp hike to a viewing point to take in the Bay and surrounding area’s gorgeous view.

Our next destination on the journey was to sample some of Jeonnam’s delicious food. Everyone was feeling the effects of our brisk walk so this definitely went down well. With Suncheon being by the coast we were of course obligated to enjoy some locally sourced sea food. We had a spectacular spread of mackerel stew and all the usual Korean side dishes. I think there was some subconscious protein-loading in preparation for our next stop, as there wasn’t a scrap left in the place. I’d know – I checked!

Taking the Temple Stay, a personal highlight of the tour, was a refreshingly informative, exertive and enjoyable experience. This particular temple is one of Korea’s three most famous and sits in a picturesque setting. The complex is surrounded by mountains while a cool stream runs alongside it. During the time we spent with these practicing monks we lived as they lived, did as they did. This included a 3am wake up and 108 consecutive bows – yes, it was as hard as it sounds! That’s not to say it wasn’t exceptionally invigorating. After completing that feat of endurance we joined the monks in their morning prayers. This infectious, rhythmic activity was initially intimidating but quickly felt natural and helped us ease ourselves into the day (it was still dangerously early at this point.) A short trip to the food hall and a quick early morning rest later we were back on our feet enjoying the complete tour of the Temple. It’s certainly understandable why this temple is considered so iconic amongst all the others. It is spectacularly beautiful. The tour was conducted by a fellow foreigner: an American monk practicing Buddhism in Korea. This opened up a whole new perspective on the environment and lifestyle we were briefly apart of. I think for many westerners (myself included) Buddhism appears a distinctly Asian religion. Many of their practices can seem old fashioned and slightly off-key with most western ideals. However hearing this monk explain what he personally takes from the lifestyle was both a humbling and interesting experience. The GIC Tour team did a fantastic job setting up this hugely enjoyable trip. That along with the great group of people made for a top notch weekend. Cheers guys!