Rising From The Ashes, Naksan-sa Part 4

I visited Naksan-sa during my 2004 visit to Korea in autumn and then  in April, 2005, I was dismayed to hear that the temple had fallen victim to a forest fire. No thanks to dry and strong winds, it had spread and destroyed most of the temple buildings along with many important artefacts such as a 15th century bronze bell.

A sorry sight - Naksan-sa after the 2005 fire.

It wasn’t the first time the temple had been ravaged by the flames. Naksan-sa had been burnt down before when the Mongol invaders over-ran the country in the 13th century. Its reconstruction took place at different times during the 15th and 17th centuries under the Joseon kings. Again, during the Korean War of 1950-53, it was razed to the ground and rebuilt in late 1953. In its most recent reincarnation, Naksan-sa has been restored within four years after the 2005 disaster like the legendary phoenix rising from the ashes.

Reconstruction work on the temple flooring

It’s a remarkable story of resilience and community effort. In his speech at the completion ceremony on October 12, 2009, the abbot of Naksan-sa said: “I bow my head and humbly thank all the monks and nuns of the Jogye Order, Buddhist devotees, and Korean citizens for helping in the difficult four-year restoration process. We will do our best to continue in the restoration to return Naksansa Temple to the hearts of the Korean people. It is important to not only restore the buildings, but also the 1000-year cultural heritage and the spirit of the ancestors.”

Even the surrounding walls get a new lease on life

A local museum now houses a violin and cello which were built from wood that survived the fire on the temple grounds. Check out the flash presentation which is based on the story of the temple. Aside from the inspiring morality tale about endurance and fortitude, one wonders if measures are in place to protect such historic and religious buildings from similar fires. For another story of a temple which was also a fire victim, click here.

Reconstruction Project Completed by 2009!

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naksansa#2005_fire_and_reconstruction
http://www.buddhapia.com/buddhapi/eng/temple/korexp/html/bu11.html
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