Overview
Yeonhwasa Temple is a direct branch temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, located at the foot of Cheonjangsan Mountain in Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Hoegi-dong, located in the heart of eastern Seoul, was named after Hoereung, the tomb of Queen Yoon, the mother of Prince Yeonsangun. Today, a small temple built on the site was built as her original temple. It was called Yeonhwasa because the origin of all living beings is like a pure lotus blooming in the mud, and later it was also called Myoryeon. All of these symbolize the purity of the lotus, and it seems that Yeonsangun named it as a temple to pray for the soul of his biological mother, Lady Yoon, and to guide the souls who had passed away. It seems the name was given to symbolize the lotus's function of 'flowering life.' Currently, Hoe-neung has been relocated to Seosamneung, and Kyunghui Girls' Middle and High School have been established on the site. Although the old appearance can no longer be found, the temple continues as a small temple on that site. Today, it has transformed from a typical temple surrounded by dense bushes into a temple in the city, but the temple still contains Buddhist paintings created by many court ladies who served as the original temple for Queen Yoon and Queen Seonui, showing traces of its role as a royal original temple.
