Sunday, May 13, 2018

Traditional Tea at Sudeoksa Temple

Sudeoksa Temple is a Jogye Order temple, nestled at the foot of Mt. Deoksungsan near Yesan, Chungcheongnam-do. It stands tall in  huddle of mountains with Mt Gayasan to the north, Oseosan to the west, Yongbongsan to the southeast, and the with the incredible gentle slopes, valleys and broad fields allowing panoramic views this area is known as "little Geumgangsan". In this setting Sudeoksa is the main monastery of Seon Buddhism and has produced many spiritual leaders.

Wandering around this temple for a while and seeing the massive and wide variety of trees (evidently this place was little touched by the Korean War), my friend and I decided our highlight of the day was finally stopping at a traditional tea shop completely surrounded by forests that were wet with rain.  No other buildings were in sight and the tea shop was all of wood decor with floor to ceiling windows, a very homey atmosphere and the rich aroma of homemade long-brewed teas. We settled on ginger-lemon tea for me, completely homemade, and a earthy brew of a root tea decorated with nut shavings for my friend. Perfect, tranquil, I want to return with a book on another rainy day! 


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