Jogye Order to offer discounted temple stays for foreigners next month

A Buddha's Birthday event is held at Jogye Temple in Seoul, May 24. Joint Press Corps

"Temple stays," overnight cultural programs at Buddhist temples, will be offered at a discounted rate for foreign visitors and residents next month, organizers said Thursday, as part of efforts to promote traditional Buddhist culture amid a rebound in tourism.

The program will run throughout September at 19 temples nationwide, with participants able to book a one-night stay for 30,000 won ($20.8), according to the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism, which operates under the Jogye Order, the country's largest Buddhist sect. Regular temple stay rates for adults range from 70,000 won to 100,000 won per night.

Participating sites include Seoul's Jogye and Hwagye temples, Naksan and Woljeong temples in Gangwon Province, Tongdo and Haein temples in South Gyeongsang Province, Seonun Temple in North Jeolla Province, and Magok Temple in South Chungcheong Province.

Reservations will open on the official English website for temple stays (eng.templestay.com) from 1 p.m. on Aug. 12 on a first-come, first-served basis, the organizers said.