Goyosa's Forest, Animals, Seasons and Weather
Hapjang (합장) is an online temple in your browser, and its temple, Goyosa, is surrounded by about 3,400 trees of 14 species common in Korean mountains, such as pine, fir, Korean maple and ginkgo. Outside the temple grounds live 26 kinds of animals, including the Jindo dog, Asiatic black bear, water deer and magpie. You can choose spring, summer, autumn or winter, and clear, cloudy, rain, snow, wind or fog for the weather.
- Trees
- 14 species, about 3,400 trees, with four-season looks
- Animals
- 26 kinds, only outside the temple grounds (walls)
- Seasons
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter (summer by default)
- Weather
- Clear, cloudy, rain, snow, wind, fog — applies only to you
- Night sky
- 4,103 stars, the real moon phase, fireflies (summer and autumn)
What trees grow at Goyosa?
The forest is made of trees you often meet in Korean mountains and around temples. The Forest Path of All Beings, where you walk as soon as you enter, leads through a fir-lined path and a maple tunnel, and past the Heavenly Kings Gate stands an ancient ginkgo tree.
- Conifers: Korean red pine, black pine, fir
- The oak family: Mongolian oak, konara oak, oriental cork oak
- Autumn red and yellow leaves: Korean maple, ginkgo, Korean hornbeam
- Around villages and temples: zelkova, persimmon, wild cherry, Korean ash, Japanese snowbell
What animals can you meet?
The animals don't enter the temple grounds inside the walls; they live in the forest and along the paths outside the temple gate. If you go close, some will speak to you in the interface language you chose (one of six).
- Dogs and farm animals: Sapsali dog, Jindo dog, cat, bull, goat, lucky pig, rooster
- Mountain animals: rabbit, Asiatic black bear, raccoon dog, water deer, sika deer, tiger, otter, squirrel
- Birds: magpie, owl, crane, duck, swallow, sparrow
- By the water and in the grass: rat snake (gureongi), soft-shelled turtle, toad
- Animals from old tales: gumiho (nine-tailed fox), haechi (a mythical lion-like guardian)
How do you change the season?
It opens in summer by default. Choose a season under [How to explore & settings] → Scenery in the menu and apply it, or add ?season=spring or ?season=autumn and so on to the address. Changing the season starts you again at the temple gate entrance.
In autumn the maple tunnel turns red, and in winter the monks wear quilted robes (nubi). Dried persimmons, the crock terrace (jangdokdae) and chimney smoke at the monks' quarters add to the feel of the season.
Do other people see the same weather?
No. Weather applies only to your own screen. You might be sitting in a rainy hall while the person next to you sees clear skies. Choose clear, cloudy, rain, snow, wind or fog, or leave it on "change naturally" and it shifts slowly. The Koi Pond on a rainy day or the Worry-Melting Hot Spring in the snow are lovely.
What is in the night sky?
At night, 4,103 stars taken from a real star catalog appear, and the moon follows the real moon's phase. On summer and autumn nights (20:00–23:30 Goyosa time) fireflies come out. The night schedule is laid out in A day at Goyosa.
Try it in Hapjang
Choose the season and weather under [How to explore & settings] → Scenery in the menu. To meet the animals, walk the forest path outside the temple gate or toward the Guanyin Seaside Path. The stream and the wind sound clearer with earphones.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the season in Hapjang?
Yes. In Hapjang (합장) you can choose the season in the menu's scenery settings or with ?season=spring|summer|autumn|winter in the address. The default is summer, and changing it starts you again at the temple gate entrance.
Is the weather in Hapjang the same for everyone?
No. The weather you choose from clear, cloudy, rain, snow, wind and fog applies only to your own screen.
What animals appear in Hapjang?
Twenty-six kinds, including the Jindo dog, Sapsali dog, Asiatic black bear, water deer, otter, magpie, crane, toad, gumiho (nine-tailed fox) and haechi, live outside the temple gate. They don't enter the temple grounds inside the walls.
Related pages
- Forest Path of All Beings: The Fir Path to GoyosaThe fir-lined forest path and Stream Valley leading to Goyosa's One-Pillar Gate in Hapjang. Walk slowly with others and stack stones on roadside cairns.
- Koi Pond — Relax Watching Koi at an Online TempleA square pond garden at Goyosa in Hapjang, an online Korean temple. Watch 104 koi from the hexagonal pavilion and wooden bridge, and rub Budai's belly.
- Guanyin Seaside Path — Sit and Watch the Sea OnlineWalk the seaside path at Goyosa in Hapjang, an online Korean temple: pass a Seaside Guanyin statue and a small hermitage, then sit on a sea bench and rest.
- Slow Forest Trail — Walking Meditation and a Stupa FieldA slow forest walk at Goyosa in Hapjang, an online Korean temple. Try slow walking (pohaeng), loving-kindness on a forest bench, and pass the stupa field.
- A Day at Goyosa: Service Times, Bells, Monks and Night SkyA day at Goyosa in Hapjang lasts about 17 real minutes. Drum at 03:12 and 17:12, bell 28 and 33 strikes, services, the elder monk's walk, fireflies, stars.
- Walking Meditation: How to Do Pohaeng, the Slow WalkPohaeng is the slow walking meditation Korean monks do between sitting sessions. Learn how to do it and follow the slow walk on Hapjang's forest trail.
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