Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All South Korea Hapcheon Tripitaka Koreana

Tripitaka Koreana

Over 80,000 carved wood blocks make up one of the world's oldest intact Buddhist canons.

Hapcheon, South Korea

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Tripitaka Koreana   Mark DeMaio on Flickr
Tripitaka Koreana   Mark DeMaio on Flickr
Tripitaka Koreana   Arian Zwegers on Flickr
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Lanterns filling a courtyard at Haeinsa   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Tablets of the Tripitaka Koreana through a window   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
The open doorway of one of the buildings storing the Tripitaka Koreana   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Taking 16 years to carve, the massive Buddhist canon known as the Tripitaka Koreana is a staggering collection of wooden printing blocks known as one of the most complete doctrinal texts in the entire religion and is said to not contain even one error across its tens of thousands of "pages."

Originally carved in the late 11th century as a devotional work meant to change the fortunes of a feudal war in Korea by invoking the Buddha, the original version of the writings were eventually destroyed by a Mongul fire. The second edition of the work, which still exists today was commissioned between 1236 and 1251, again in an effort to curb an invasion of hostile forces. 

Once completed, this second collection of Buddhist doctrine, law, and philosophy covered 81,258 wooden print blocks, containing 52,382,960 flawless characters. The mind-boggling work was moved to a temple known as Haeinsa in 1398 and has been housed across four separate buildings ever since, weathering centuries of time. 

Today the ancient birch wood tablets have all been treated to prevent any further decay and are still located in the same temple housing they have been for centuries. The building was specifically designed to keep optimum ventilation, temperature, and humidity levels, and even after hundreds of years, it’s done better than modern technology. In 1970, the blocks developed mildew after being moved to a newly built storage facility, and were promptly returned here for their long-term preservation. The collection is not only listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site but is also the 32nd National Treasure of Korea. 

Related Tags

Buddhism Temples Unesco Literature

Know Before You Go

Start from Dongdaegu or Daegu train station, and make your way to Seongdangmot subway station (line 1 towards Daegok, exit 3) and head to the Seobu City Bus Terminal. Buses for Haeinsa leave every 40 minutes, make several stops along the way and take about 1 1/2 hours to arrive. Once off the bus, walk downhill for a few hundred meters and turn left down the well-worn path. Keep following the signs for Haeinsa and you’ll pass the museum after a few hundred meters.

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

chrisbacke, Blindcolour, Max Cortesi, katielou106

  • chrisbacke
  • Blindcolour
  • Max Cortesi
  • katielou106

Published

August 21, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.lifeinkorea.com/travel/skyongsang/tripitaka.htm
  • http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_5_8_5.jsp
  • http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/737
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripitaka_Koreana
  • https://www.oneweirdglobe.com/destination-haeinsa-complete-with-wonderful-fall-colors-gyeongsangnam-do/
Tripitaka Koreana
10 Chiin-ri, Gaya-myeon, Hapcheon-gun
Hapcheon, 678-890
South Korea
35.801304, 128.097562
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Hwangsang-dong Buddha Carving

Gumi, South Korea

miles away

Dorisa Temple

Gumi, South Korea

miles away

Gatbawi Rock

Gyeongsan-si, South Korea

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Korea

South Korea

Asia

Places 107
Stories 14

Nearby Places

Hwangsang-dong Buddha Carving

Gumi, South Korea

miles away

Dorisa Temple

Gumi, South Korea

miles away

Gatbawi Rock

Gyeongsan-si, South Korea

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Korea

South Korea

Asia

Places 107
Stories 14

Related Places

  • Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing).

    Tongren, China

    Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing)

    Two ancient Buddhist temples crown this dramatic rocky pinnacle.

  • The temple.

    Nachikatsuura-chō, Japan

    Fudarakusan-ji

    A temple made famous by Japanese Buddhist monks who sacrificed themselves at sea.

  • Taxila ruins

    Wah, Pakistan

    Ancient City of Taxila

    A mere stone's throw from Islamabad exists a spectacular display of three millennia of humanity's progress.

  • Chhokangparo, Nepal

    Tsum Valley

    A remote area dotted with Buddhist temples and monasteries.

  • Thotagamuwa, Sri Lanka

    Aluviharaya Rock Cave Temple

    Ancient cave temple near a massive Buddha statue.

  • Another view of this one-of-a-kind temple.

    Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Wat Sri Suphan

    This sensational silver temple is the product of centuries of metalworking.

  • Small statues of Buddha line the path to the top of the mountain.

    Hiroshima, Japan

    Mitaki-dera

    A mountaintop Buddhist temple with panoramic views of Hiroshima.

  • Sawathi, Thailand

    Wat Chai Sri

    An early 1900s temple features unique architecture and murals.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.