Gilsangsa Temple
Buddhist temple built from a former exclusive restaurant, donated by its gisaeng owner to a monk.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Gilsangsa Temple in Seoul centers on Kim Young-han, who as a teenager became a gisaeng, a trained entertainer, and later fell for a poet named Baek Seok who was never allowed to marry her because of her status. It follows her instead into building a fortune, opening a restaurant on this very site that grew into one of Seoul's most exclusive gisaeng houses. The guide traces what led her, years later, to approach a monk about turning her property into something else entirely. Look at the gate behind you as you listen, built with a single plain pillar instead of the usual guardian statues.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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