Jeongyangsa

Jeongyangsa, also romanized Chŏngyang-sa, (정양사, 正陽寺, N 38.6321, E 128.0628) was a Korean Buddhist temple on Mount Geumgang (금강산,金剛山). This temple was known as the best scenic spot in the Mount Geumgang area. Located at an altitude of 848m, it overlooks the Pyohunsa temple, located 1km eastwards and 200m below, on the banks of the Donggeumgang River.[1]

There were several buildings such as Banyajeon (般若殿, enshrining the Beopgi Bodhisattva as the main Buddha), Yakjeon (藥師殿, an hexagonal hall), Heolseongru (헐성루, 歇惺樓, a small pavilion on the right side of the temple grounds, to see the 12000 peaks of the mountain), Yeongsanjeon, and Nahanjeon, as well as a three-story pagoda and stone lanterns.[2]

The #12 (1932) of the "Joseon historical site walk" contains several views of each temple around Mt. Geumgang, Jeongyangsa among them.[3] Some of them can be accessed through Namu_wiki. These pictures taken during the Japanese colonial period are precious since many of these buildings are no longer extant.

During the Korean war, the Bombing of North Korea dropped a total of 635,000 tons of bombs, including 32,557 tons of napalm, on Korea.[4] "Every installation, facility, and village in North Korea [became] a military and tactical target", and the orders given to the Fifth Air Force and Bomber Command was to "destroy every means of communications and every installation, factory, city, and village".[5] As a result, Heolseongru, Yeongsanjeon, Myeongbujeon, Seungbang and Nahanjeon have been destroyed by the US bombings of the area.[6] The other buildings were damaged, but were restored afterwards and classified as the #99 National Treasure (North Korea).[7]