{"id":36622,"date":"2025-09-18T11:19:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T14:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/09\/18\/podaehwasang\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T11:26:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T14:26:39","slug":"podaehwasang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/09\/18\/podaehwasang\/","title":{"rendered":"Podaehwasang"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n <\/p>\n

During my visit to the temple, the Laughing Buddha was a particularly eye-catching figure. Known in Korean as Podaehwasang (\ud3ec\ub300\ud654\uc0c1), and also widely by his Chinese name Budai, this figure was a real monk who lived in China during the Tang dynasty. He is not a representation of Gautama Buddha, but rather of a deity of happiness and good fortune. The statue’s face reflected a genuine and contagious smile, with round cheeks and a prominent belly that peeked out from under his robe.<\/p>\n

His figure symbolizes abundance and prosperity. It is widely believed that Podaehwasang is an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha, who is prophesied to bring an era of peace and joy. The statue held a rosary in its right hand and its characteristic cloth sack in the left\u2014an object that, according to legend, contains treasures and gifts for those in need. His presence at the temple was a constant reminder of the joy and good fortune that Buddhism represents.<\/p>\n

Haedong Yonggungsa, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Mapa
\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n

Camera:<\/b> Canon EOS 800D \/ Rebel T7i \/ Kiss X9i
\"Canon<\/p>\n

Lens:<\/b> TAMRON SP 28-75mm F\/2.8 Di A09E
\"TAMRON<\/p>\n

Capture Information:<\/b>
\n Focal Length: 33.0 mm
\n Shutter Speed: 1\/100
\n Aperture: f\/4.0
\n ISO: 100\n<\/p>\n

Photo Taken: April 28, 2025
\n High resolution<\/a>
\n Flickr Gallery<\/a>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Did you like this post?<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During my visit to the temple, the Laughing Buddha was a particularly eye-catching figure. Known in Korean as Podaehwasang (\ud3ec\ub300\ud654\uc0c1), and also widely by his Chinese name Budai, this figure was a real monk who lived in China during the Tang dynasty. He is not a representation of Gautama Buddha, but rather of a deity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[164,14797,14786,1945,2041,14795,14791,3489,3490,3775,3995,14789,5354,14793,5632,14752,14782,6101,6347,14794,6911,7118,14783,7436,14788,14800,9894,14784,10687,14799,14790,14796,14798,12203,12205,12260,12339,12444,12725,14787,12910,13254,14792,13339,13864,14803,14458,14802,14462,14463,14457,14801,14742,14460,14785,14804,14805],"class_list":["post-36622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-related-posts","tag-abundance","tag-belly","tag-budai","tag-buddhism","tag-busan","tag-chinese-monk","tag-cloth-sack","tag-corea","tag-corea-del-sur","tag-culture","tag-deity","tag-future-buddha","tag-gabrielpaladino-com","tag-gifts","tag-gijang-gun","tag-good-fortune","tag-haedong-yonggungsa","tag-happiness","tag-history","tag-incarnation","tag-joy","tag-korea","tag-laughing-buddha","tag-legend","tag-maitreya","tag-monk","tag-peace","tag-podaehwasang","tag-prosperity","tag-representation","tag-rosary","tag-round-cheeks","tag-smile","tag-south-korea","tag-south-korea-2025","tag-southkorea2025","tag-spirituality","tag-statue","tag-symbolism","tag-tang-dynasty","tag-temple","tag-tradition","tag-treasures","tag-trip","tag-visit","tag-14803","tag-14458","tag-14802","tag-14462","tag-14463","tag-14457","tag-14801","tag-14742","tag-14460","tag-14785","tag-14804","tag-14805","has-post-thumbnail"],"tags_input":"abundance,belly,Budai,buddhism,busan,Chinese monk,cloth sack,corea,Corea del Sur,culture,deity,future Buddha,gabrielpaladino.com,gifts,Gijang-gun,Good fortune,Haedong Yonggungsa,happiness,history,incarnation,joy,korea,Laughing Buddha,legend,Maitreya,monk,peace,Podaehwasang,prosperity,representation,rosary,round cheeks,smile,South Korea,South Korea 2025,southkorea2025,spirituality,statue,symbolism,Tang dynasty,temple,tradition,treasures,trip,visit,\uae30\ub3c4,\ubb38\ud654,\ubc14\ub2f7\uac00,\ubd88\uad50,\uc0ac\ucc30,\uc5ed\uc0ac,\uc608\uc220,\uc6a9,\uc804\ud1b5,\ud3ec\ub300\ud654\uc0c1,\ud589\ubcf5,\ud589\uc6b4","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phjlBv-9wG","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":36968,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2026\/02\/28\/giant-buddha-of-daeseungwon-temple\/","url_meta":{"origin":36622,"position":0},"title":"Giant Buddha of Daeseungwon Temple","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"February 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The giant golden Buddha of Daeseungwon Temple (\ub300\uc2b9\uc6d0) rises on the slopes of Paldalsan Mountain in the historic city of Suwon, South Korea. 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