Hoapsa Temple

Hoapsa Temple is a 600-year-old Buddhist temple on Hoamsan Mountain, said to have been built on King Taejo's order to suppress a tiger spirit that kept Seoul from becoming the Joseon capital. The grounds have tiger murals and carvings and the stone Seokyaksa Seated Buddha, Seoul's Cultural Property number 8. The temple leads to a 1,500-square-meter shared forest open to the public, with meditation shelters, stages, playgrounds and healing trails. The 1.2-kilometer Hoam Neulsol-gil pine trail runs from the temple parking area to Hoamsan Mountain Waterfall.