Silleuksa Temple situated against a low hill on the north side of the river Namhan in Yeoju (Gyeonggi Province), is the only riverside temple in Korea. The site of the temple is really beautiful, especially now in spring and just before the Lotus Lantern Festival when the temples are already decorated with hundreds of colorful lanterns. 
Even though part of the temple was under renovation, we still could visit the main buildings, admire the 600-year-old ginkgo tree standing on the temple grounds and enjoy the view of the Gangwolhun, small pavilion located along the riverbank’s cliff, despite the construction works and concrete pavement on the other side of the river.
Just a 5 minutes walk from the temple is Yeoju Ceramics Expo. We’ve been lucky to be there exactly during the Yeoju Ceramic Festival which takes place this year 04.21.2012 ~ 05.13.2012.
We had fun watching a short magician show, walking in the alleys while trying different kinds of Korean traditional food and listening to some percussion and Korean traditional songs. The main exhibition hall with a broad variety of ceramics including celadon, white, buncheong, and watae porcelain is worth visiting.
But the highlight of the day for my 4-year-old daughter was the ceramic workshop where she made this beautiful bowl 😉
How to get there:
- From Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, take an intercity bus to Yeoju Terminal.
- From Yeoju Bus Terminal, take a local bus (bound for Silleuksa Temple)
Admission fee:
- Adults – 2,200 won
- Children – 1,700 won
For more information about Silleuksa Temple – http://www.silleuksa.org/index.php
and Yeoju Ceramic Festival – http://www.yeojuceramic.com/
