Two Buddhist paintings at Busan's Seonamsa Temple designated cultural heritage

Busan has officially designated the Seonamsa Amitabha Assembly Painting and the Seonamsa Sinjung Painting as city-designated cultural heritage, the city announced Wednesday.

The two works cleared a preliminary review and public notice period by the city's National Heritage Committee (tangible heritage subcommittee) before receiving their final designations — as a cultural heritage material and a tangible cultural heritage, respectively.

Seonamsa Temple, nestled on the slopes of Baengnyangsan, is one of Busan's oldest Buddhist temples and is believed to have been founded during the Silla period. With this designation, the temple now holds six registered cultural heritage items.

Records on the Seonamsa Amitabha Assembly Painting indicate it was created in 1918 at Seonamsa Temple on Geumjeongsan in Seo-myeon, Dongnae-gu, and enshrined in the main hall. The date of production, the original location of enshrinement, and the list of participating monks are all clearly documented, giving the painting significant value as a window into the early style of Wanho, a leading Buddhist painter of the modern era.

The Seonamsa Sinjung Painting was created and enshrined at the temple in 1870. Historical records confirm that residents of the Gaeunapo area and communities in Dongnae-bu — including Dadae-myeon, Sahwa-myeon's Goejeong and Dujung-ri — contributed as donors. The monk-painter Wonseon, who created the work, also painted the Four Heavenly Kings at Beomeosa Temple in 1869. As surviving works attributed to him are rare, the painting serves as a key reference for understanding his artistic style and activities.

Details on the newly designated heritage items are available on the city's official website under the public notices section (https://www.busan.go.kr/nbgosi). As of Wednesday, Busan holds a total of 592 registered national heritage items — 121 nationally designated or registered, and 471 designated or registered by the city.