Two kilometers before the entrance to the temple is a tree many might miss.
It is a 600 year-old pine tree near the road. Legend tells that it bowed its branches in front of King Sejo ?a story of guilt. King Sejo was the second son of King Sejong; he succeeded the throne by murdering his nephew.
In old age he suffered from a severe skin ailment and tried to find solace from his ailment as well as his bad conscience in the forests of Sogni-san Mountain.

One day he met a young woman whose two boys called him grandfather. The woman was Princess Uisook, Sejo's daughter, who had to flee her father because she had pleaded for the life of the murdered nephew. At this meeting the king begged for forgiveness and invited these members of his family back to the palace. The princess refused saying that she preferred her simple life and she later fled further south.

Located on Songni-san Mountain, Popju-sa, "The Dharma Staying" temple, is believed to have been founded in 553, during the reign of King Chinhung; Master Uisang helped build it up. There is a record which states that, at times, 3,000 monks lived here. Eight times renovated, the last occasion was in 1906. Popju-sa is a Head Temple and has some 27 lesser temples under it.

Behind the entrance gate there are two granite pillars dating from 11th century which were used to support the temple painting for special occasions.

In a pavilion on the right side is the 2.70-meter diameter iron pot dating from 720. There is a record which states that the pot was used in the 12th century to serve monks and pilgrims.

The Main Hall or Hall of Great Light is a shrine to Vairocana, Sakyamuni and Rochana. Behind these three images there are three paintings of the Buddhas accompanied by enlightened disciples, Bodhisattvas as well as by a youthful Ananda and a very elderly Kasyapa. Sakyamuni and Rochana are surrounded by rainbows and Vairocana is surrounded by a huge white halo, symbolizing the absolute.

The five-storey pagoda, the oldest wooden pagoda in Korea, was originally built in 553; it is National Treasure No. 55. A copy of this pagoda was made in Nara 50 years later at Horiuji. (In Japan, the original pagodas are still standing but in Korea they've all been destroyed by the numerous invasions. A copy of the original pagoda is in the Seoul National Museum.) This one was constructed in 1624 and it has been carefully preserved since then. It is a "Life of the Buddha" or "Eight Paintings Hall" with large murals telling the story of the life of Sakyamuni Buddha; the paintings are not in chronological order. The beautifully carved beams are painted in special designs. Around the central pillar, Buddhists circumnambulate as a practice of remembering the Buddha and the task before them to understand his teachings. There are four statues of Sakyamuni, each one facing one of the four cardinal directions, each one showing a different mudra or hand position. The Buddha facing east has the pose of fearlessness, the one facing west is in the pose of Turning the Wheel of the Dharma (teaching), the one facing south shows the earth touching pose and the Buddha facing the north is lying down, Buddha in the dying pose -- very rare in Korea.
The entourage shows Bodhisattvas and disciples brightly clad and bejewelled. There are some women among the followers.

In front of the paintings, there are 340 little white Buddhas representing the innumerable beings in all places in all world systems. These images are often called disciples even though they actually have the marks of Buddhas.
These marks include the long ears, the curled hair and the bump on the head.

Gazing down at the pagoda is a 33-meter high, 160 ton copper Maitreya Buddha. In 1872, King Kojong's father took the Maitreya Buddha statue made by Chinp'yo. In 1939, a new statue was started but couldn't be completed.
So in 1964, President Park donated money for a new statue and this allowed the temple to finish the statue with cement. In 1990, the statue was replaced with this bronze one.

Nearby there is a two-meter high statue of a woman carrying a pot in her hands. The statue is reputed to be Sujata who offered food to the Buddha just before he attained enlightenment.

Other treasures include a four-meter stone lantern which is Treasure No.
15. There's also a water basin, National Treasure No. 64, shaped like a half-opened magnolia flower. It used to stand in front of the previous Maitreya Hall and is a symbol of the pond in the paradise of the Future Buddha. The lion lantern, National Treasure No. 5, consists of a rare Shilla lantern about 3.3-meters in height dating from 720, made during the reign of King Sondok (r. 702-737).

Tourists may enjoy the many trails leading up to different hermitages and to the peak of Mt. Songni-san.