Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea

Seven mountain monasteries scattered across the southern Korean Peninsula have kept Buddhist practice alive without interruption since their founding between the 7th and 9th centuries. What sets the Sansa apart is their layout: an open courtyard called the madang, framed on four sides by a Buddha hall, pavilion, lecture hall and dormitory — an arrangement particular to Korea. Still working places of faith rather than museums, the temples earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2018.