Gyerimsa Temple (Gimcheon)

This description was machine-translated from the Korea Tourism Organization's Korean original.

Gyerimsa is a branch temple of Jikjisa and is said to have been founded by the monk Ado in the 3rd year of King Nulji of Silla. However, its history after founding through the late Joseon period has not been handed down; it was rebuilt by Seongil in 1832 and reconstructed by Chundam in 1922, reaching the present day. Its buildings include the Daeungjeon, Eunghyanggak, Chilseonggak, and monks' living quarters. Among its relics are a rock-carved seated Vairocana Buddha and a large hanging Buddhist painting. It is unknown when or by whom this painting was made, but when droughts were severe it is said to have been placed by the twin springs at the village entrance for rain-making rites. As for the origin of the name Gyerimsa, from a geomantic viewpoint the mountain terrain was fierce and many unfortunate incidents occurred, so Ado foresaw this and told the villagers that if they built a temple and raised a thousand chickens, murders would not occur. Accordingly the villagers built a temple where Ado indicated and raised chickens. However, the chickens they raised kept dying, so they changed the temple's name altogether to Gyerimsa (Chicken Forest Temple) and substituted that for raising chickens. It is also said that the word gyerim means a mysterious forest, and that after the temple was built all misfortune disappeared, so it was named for being a mysterious forest like Gyerim in Gyeongju.