Tapsa Temple
Tapsa is a small temple at the base of Maisan's distinctive horse-ear-shaped peaks, renowned for the roughly 80 stone pagoda towers stacked without mortar around its grounds, all built by a single monk, Yi Gap-yong, over about 30 years in the early 20th century as an act of devoted, solitary labor. The towers range from waist-high to several meters tall and remain remarkably stable despite having no binding material, a source of ongoing curiosity among visitors and structural engineers alike.
As the temple sits within Maisan Provincial Park, a visit here typically comes as part of a broader walk that also takes in the mountain's rock-peak scenery, making the combined stop worth the moderate hike required to reach it.
Tapsa Temple FAQs
A single monk, Yi Gap-yong, who stacked roughly 80 towers by hand over about 30 years in the early 20th century, without using mortar.
Careful, precise stacking and stone selection allow the towers to remain stable; it's a source of ongoing curiosity and study.
The temple sits within the park, at the base of Maisan's distinctive rocky peaks, so the two are visited together.
A moderate uphill walk from the park entrance to reach the temple grounds.
They date to the early 20th century, roughly a century old at this point.
Reviews/Comments
No comments yet — be the first.