From the first gate to the main hall
Temple buildings do not stand at random; there is an order of gates leading inward. Walk it knowing the order and you can read your way around a temple you have never visited. The higher into the mountains a temple sits, the longer this order is drawn out. Each gate's name is on the wooden board hung above it, so you can read the names as you pass.
- Iljumun - the first gate, its pillars in a single line. The temple grounds start here.
- Cheonwangmun - four large figures stand inside. You look at them as you pass through.
- Buimun or Haetalmun - the last gate. Many temples do not have one.
- The pavilion - the steps up to the courtyard pass underneath this building.
- The courtyard - a pagoda stands in the middle, and the main hall faces you from the highest ground.
Not every temple has every gate. The order folds up or shifts with the lie of the mountain, so do not go hunting for a gate that is not there.