The main altarpiece at Daeseung Temple is made of wood. Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

There's an old expression, "Third time's a charm." And no truer words were ever spoken when it comes to my experience with Daeseung Temple because it took three visits to see something once.

All three visits were made in the hope of seeing the amazing wooden Amitabha Buddha altarpiece in the temple, located on Mount Sabul in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province.

The first time, it was winter. It was cold, cloudy and snowy, and there was a morning service taking place inside the main hall where the altarpiece is housed. Short on time, and with a cold chill in the air, I didn't even take the time to take a peek inside the Daeung-jeon Hall. For as long as I've been going to temples, which is over 20 years at this point, I always make it a practice to never disturb worshipers.

Daeseung Temple seen under a blanket of snow in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

The second time I visited, it was even more disheartening. This time, there wasn't a morning service taking place — it had already been completed. And as I approached the main hall, there wasn't a single shoe at the entryway, which meant the hall was empty. Excitement quickly gave way to dejection, especially since I had made the three-hour trip specifically to see the golden altarpiece. Instead, what I found inside the Daeung-jeon Hall was a poster-sized replica of the golden-colored altarpiece. It wasn't clear where the historic altarpiece had been taken, and there was no one around to ask, either.

A poster of the wooden Amitabha Buddha altarpiece takes the place of the original at Daeseung Temple in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province. Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

Finally, thanks to a friend who had stayed the night at Daeseung Temple on a whim, I learned that the amazing altarpiece was back and better looking than ever before, especially after having undergone an extensive and expensive restoration. Suffice it to say, it didn't take much to convince me to boogie my way back to Mungyeong. It would mean three trips in three months, but I knew it would be well worth it.

Daeseung Temple means "Great Vehicle Temple" in English, and the temple was first established in 587.

This temple has one of the more interesting origin legends connected to it. According to the "Samguk Yusa" (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), there stands a mountain that soars high in the sky to the east of Juknyeong (Bamboo Pass). In the ninth year of King Jinpyeong of Silla's 579-632 reign, the mountain shook violently, and a great boulder fell from its peak. This boulder was 10 feet square, and there were Buddhist images carved on all four sides. Also, it was wrapped in a red silk cloth. Hearing of this marvelous event, King Jinpyeong journeyed to this site, where the rock had fallen from the heavens. There he prostrated himself before it and ordered a temple to be built near its location. This temple would be called Daeseung Temple, and this rock still stands near the peak of Mount Sabul near Yunpil Hermitage.

Much later, the temple would be destroyed by fire during the 1592-98 Imjin War. It would be rebuilt from 1604-1701. At this time, over a dozen shrine halls and gates were built. And more recently, the temple suffered additional fires including in 1862 and 1956. The only shrine halls to survive the 1862 fire were the Myeongbu-jeon Hall and the Eungjin-jeon Hall. The Daeung-jeon Hall and a few other shrine halls were rebuilt in 1966.

In total, Daeseung Temple is home to a National Treasure and three additional Korean Treasures. The National Treasure is the aforementioned altarpiece, officially named the "Wooden Amitabha Buddha Altarpiece at Daeseungsa Temple."

Meeting my friend in the temple parking lot, we bee-lined it up to the Daeung-jeon Hall to see the magnificent altarpiece. With the morning service already completed, and with a little luck, we'd be left alone with the wooden altarpiece. Entering the now-deserted main hall, the golden altarpiece was even more impressive than I could ever have imagined. The golden altar simply shimmered and filled the entire shrine hall with a brilliant golden gleam.

The restored Wooden Amitabha Buddha Altarpiece at Daeseung Temple in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

This wooden altarpiece was first produced in 1675. It portrays the Western Paradise of Amita-bul (Buddha of the Western Paradise). In total, it contains 24 images of Bodhisattvas, Nahan and the Four Heavenly Kings. And in the center of the symmetrically positioned images is Amita-bul. Of the six extant wood altarpieces, this is the oldest and also the largest. What distinguishes this altarpiece from the other five is the portrayal and style of the Bodhisattvas. In total, the restoration of the wooden altarpiece, which was conducted by a master artisan, would cost 10 billion won.

An up-close view of the main altar at Daeseung Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

With my curiosity satiated, we toured around the rest of the temple grounds which have wonderful artwork and architecture, as well. Beyond what's located inside the Daeung-jeon Hall, you can also enjoy the golden reliefs of shaman deities inside the Samseong-gak Hall, the 700-year-old "Gilt-bronze Seated Amitabha Buddha and Excavated Relics of Daeseungsa Temple" inside the Geungnak-jeon Hall that's a Korean Treasure, as well as the haunting interior of the Myeongbu-jeon Hall. And in August, Daeseung Temple will restart its Templestay program.

On the way out, we were fortunate enough to meet the temple office worker. We had a lovely conversation about the history of Daeseung Temple and the restoration of the wooden altarpiece. However, knowing there was still one hidden treasure to be seen, we politely asked if we could see the "Gilt-bronze Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva of Daeseungsa Temple," which is completely off-limits to the general public. Perhaps it was some good karma smiling down on me after a couple of discouraging trips to the temple, but whatever it was, and through the kindness of the temple worker, we were able to enter the off-limits Seon center at the temple and see yet another of the Korean Treasures housed at Daeseung Temple.

The off-limits Gilt-bronze Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva of Daeseung Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

Daeseung Temple is a beautiful temple that's made even more impressive by the "wooden altarpiece. It goes to show that a little persistence, and a lot of luck and kindness, can go a long way in revealing things that are usually hidden from most. Daeseung Temple was the complete embodiment of this, and in the long run, it made me better for it.

Dale Quarrington has visited over 500 temples throughout the Korean Peninsula and published four books on Korean Buddhism. He runs the website Dale's Korean Temple Adventures.