Ssanggyesa Temple, South Gyeongsang Province

Steps going up on the west side of Ssanggyesa, a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, on the southern slopes of Jirisan. It was founded in 722 as Okcheonsa (Jade-Heaven Temple) by Sambeop and Daebi, two disciples of the great Hwaeom Master Uisang-daesa named and renamed “Ssanggyesa” (Twin-Streams Monastery) in the 9th century. Most of the temple dates to the 17th century or thereafter, because all its buildings were burned to the ground by Japanese invaders in 1592.