A Buddhist Temple and Its Users: The Case of Bulguksa in South Korea

Abstract

Buddhist temples are emblematic of many Asian countries in their tourism promotions, but little is known about how monks, laypeople, guides, and local or foreign tourists experience these religious heritage sites. In late developed and developing Asian countries these Buddhist sites fulfil complex social and symbolic roles involving differing functions and expectations. But how these temples can fulfil these complex demands and avoid becoming similar to a museum or a theme park is unclear. Using qualitative analysis this research examined temple users experiences of the architecture, artefacts, gardens, rituals, and users at the Bulguk Temple precinct in Korea and identified several dimensions of the sense of place that temple users experience. A resulting sense of place matrix includes believer, novice, leisure, and heritage experiences that users access depending on their grasp of the core knowledge and the symbolic materialities in the temple precinct. This provides a starting point for the skilful management of Buddhist sites facing mounting pressures from increasing visitor numbers particularly from heritage and leisure tourists. An indigenous approach to the diversity of Buddhist veneration settings and their users is recommended. Practical implications and further research are suggested.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lawrence J. Bendle

Lawrence J. Bendle is an assistant professor in the College of Hotel and Tourism Management at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea. His research interests include qualitative and network inquiries into tourism, heritage, leisure, and the arts. Address: College of Hotel & Tourism, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, South Korea. E-mail: [email protected]

Choong-Ki Lee

Choong-Ki Lee is a professor in the College of Hotel and Tourism Management at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea. His areas of research include tourism demand, economic impacts of tourism, the valuation of ecotourism resources, festival motivations, and residents' perception of casino developments. Address: College of Hotel & Tourism, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, South Korea. E-mail: [email protected]

Jeong-Ja Choi

Jeong-Ja Choi is a professor in the Division of Hotel & Tourism Management at Dongguk University in Gyeongju, South Korea. Her research interests include convention management. Address: Division of Hotel & Tourism Management, Dongguk University, 747 Seokjang-dong, Gyeongju 780-714, South Korea. E-mail: [email protected]

Tai-Yang Seo

Tai-Yang Seo is a professor in the Division of Hotel & Tourism Management at Dongguk University in Gyeongju, South, Korea. His areas of research include development of tourist attractions, festival planning, and leisure activity planning. Address: Division of Hotel & Tourism Management, Dongguk University, 747 Seokjang-dong, Gyeongju 780-714, South Korea. E-mail: [email protected]

Bang-Sik Lee

Bang-Sik Lee is a lecturer in the Department of Tourism & Convention Management at the Graduate School of Economics & Commerce, Pusan National University in Pusan, Korea. His research interest includes hotel management. Address: Graduate School of Economics & Commerce, Pusan National University, 2 Busandaehak-ro, Geumjeong-gu, Pusan, 609–735, South Korea E-mail: [email protected]