Up a long, steep, and winding mountain road, Dorisa Temple stands overlooking plunging valleys, the Nakdong River, and the distant Gumi cityscape. Known as the birthplace of Korean Buddhism, legend has it that the monk Ado-hwasang (Ado for short) stumbled upon this magical location, where peach and plum trees blossomed all year, around the year 418. Ancient stone stairs lead to the temple’s entrance, where one of Korea’s most famed national treasures was found—a hexagonal sarira reliquary said to contain the Buddha Shaykamuni’s ashes. Stroll around the grounds to find the…
