Overview
Seongdeoksa Temple is located at the foot of Bonghwasan Mountain in Sangbong-dong, Jungnang-gu, situated in a densely populated residential alley. Founded in 1957, the temple grounds include the main hall, bell pavilion, Chilseonggak pavilion, Samshingak, and Mireukjeon hall. In residential areas, it supports residents' faith and community volunteer activities. This place was originally a place rich in the legend of Comrade Ae. According to legend, an old man was cutting wood halfway up a mountain, and when he saw the tree restanding with a chopstick, he was so startled that he fled to the village. He told this story to the villagers, and a monk who had stopped by the village to make alms prayers said that since the place was filled with many people's resentment, he offered prayers to resolve them and advised them not to eat red bean porridge during the winter solstice (early November of the lunar calendar). The villagers dismissed the monk's story lightly, but the widow with four children continued to offer prayers every year as the monk had instructed. Later, when an epidemic spread greatly in the village, the widow's children were able to grow up healthy without illness. It is said that the widow urged all her descendants to pray for prayers just before her death. After liberation in 1945, people gathered in this area to build and live in the area, but strangely, rafters would collapse or pillars would collapse during construction. When Jogye Order built the temple, a bull carrying timber died and several workers were injured, but after the temple was completed, no more people were injured in accidents. Locals say this is because Seongdeoksa Temple performs the ritual prayers on their behalf.