Haeinsa Temple starts re-carving project on 29 October
Published on 10/18/2026 at 00:11 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Haeinsa Temple and its new Tripitaka Koreana re-carving project come together in Hapcheon on 29 October 2026, when a ceremony will mark the start of the long undertaking. The mountain temple in South Korea is preparing a new set of the Buddhist canon's woodblocks, continuing a tradition associated with the site for about 800 years.
Haeinsa Temple begins re-carving on 29 October
The Haeinsa Janggyeongdogam Daejanggyeong Pangak Gobulshik will be held at the Beopgyetap courtyard in the temple complex on 29 October 2026. The ceremony marks the formal beginning of a project to carve a complete new set of the Tripitaka Koreana, rather than simply reproduce individual damaged blocks.
About 100 monks and graduates of the Pangak School are due to take part. The school operates under the Haeinsa Janggyeongdogam, the body responsible for transmitting traditional woodblock-carving skills and overseeing the new canon. The project is expected to take five to ten years to complete, so the ceremony introduces a long-term change to the working life of the temple rather than a short seasonal programme. The 29 October ceremony details include a traditional carving demonstration as part of the opening programme.
The new carving project connects with a UNESCO heritage site
The Tripitaka Koreana consists of more than 81,000 wooden printing blocks and is recognised as a national treasure and UNESCO Memory of the World heritage. The existing collection was created in the Goryeo period during the Mongol invasions, when the Buddhist canon was carved as a national act of faith and preservation.
The blocks are kept in the Janggyeong Panjeon depositories, a group of wooden buildings dating from the fifteenth century. UNESCO describes the complex as a specialist storehouse whose design uses carefully developed conservation techniques to protect the wood. Its World Heritage listing therefore gives the 29 October event a precise setting: the new work begins at a temple that preserves the earlier collection in purpose-built halls. UNESCO's heritage description of Haeinsa places the depositories on Mount Gaya and records the historical role of the woodblocks.
The new project is presented as a continuation of technique and learning, not as a replacement for the surviving canon. Alongside carving, the temple plans to continue technical education, research, digitisation and the creation of a digital archive. The connection between the new work and the old halls is consequently practical as well as historical: the ceremony launches a process intended to keep woodblock knowledge active for future generations.
Visiting Haeinsa Temple: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The re-carving ceremony takes place on 29 October 2026 at the Beopgyetap courtyard at Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon.
- The programme includes a traditional woodblock-carving demonstration, while the five-to-ten-year carving project continues beyond the ceremony.
- The temple is at 122 Haeinsa-gil in Hapcheon County, South Gyeongsang Province, on the slopes of Mount Gaya.
- The route through the complex includes steep stone steps, and the Janggyeong Panjeon is reached on the upper part of the temple grounds.
- Korean is the official language and the national currency of South Korea is the won.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Haeinsa Temple
When does the re-carving project begin at Haeinsa Temple?
The opening ceremony takes place on 29 October 2026 at the Beopgyetap courtyard. The carving project is expected to continue for five to ten years.
What is the Tripitaka Koreana at Haeinsa Temple?
It is a Buddhist canon carved on more than 81,000 wooden printing blocks and preserved in the Janggyeong Panjeon depositories. The collection is recognised as a national treasure and UNESCO Memory of the World heritage.
Where is Haeinsa Temple and how do you get there?
Haeinsa Temple is at 122 Haeinsa-gil in Hapcheon County, South Gyeongsang Province, on Mount Gaya. Visitors reach the upper depositories through the temple complex and its steep stone steps.
