Hongyegyo: The Stone Arch Bridge of a Korean Temple
A hongyegyo (虹霓橋), often called a "rainbow bridge," is a stone bridge built as a rounded arch, like a rainbow over water. At Goyosa, the temple inside the online temple Hapjang (합장), a single Stone Arch Bridge (Hongyegyo) spans the stream between the One-Pillar Gate and the Heavenly Kings Gate. You can stop on it, listen to the water, and rest.
- Where
- Over the stream, between the One-Pillar Gate and the Heavenly Kings Gate
- What it looks like
- A rounded stone arch bridge, the only one on the temple grounds
- What you can do
- Walk across, rest on the bridge (no button-based activity)
- Next stop
- Heavenly Kings Gate
What is a hongyegyo, or rainbow bridge?
Hongye (虹霓) means "rainbow." When stones are fitted together in a half-circle, the weight pressing down from above is spread out to both sides, and the arch holds. Stone bridges built this way are called hongyegyo, or rainbow bridges. You can find them at old fortress gates, at palaces, and over the valley streams of many Korean mountain temples.
A bridge at the entrance to a temple is often read as a place where you leave the noise of the outside world behind as you cross into the temple's grounds. The names and meanings of these bridges vary from temple to temple.
The arch bridge at Goyosa
Goyosa's arch bridge was not copied from any real temple. It was built new to fit an original, imagined temple ground. It is the only stone arch bridge over the stream on the whole grounds. After you pass the One-Pillar Gate, the path meets the stream, rises over the curved back of the bridge, and carries on to the other bank.
How to rest on the bridge
- Stop in the middle of the bridge and slowly look around at the stream and the forest.
- With earphones in, you can hear the running water up close.
- The weather changes between clear, cloudy, rain, snow, wind, and fog, and each visitor sees their own weather on their own screen. A bridge in the rain feels very different from a bridge in the fog.
- There is nothing to press here, so simply let the few steps across be your rest.
After the bridge: the Heavenly Kings Gate
Across the bridge is the Heavenly Kings Gate, guarded by four heavenly kings. Turn around and you see the way you came: the One-Pillar Gate and the Forest Path of All Beings. If you would like to make slow walking itself a practice, read about slow walking meditation.
Try it in Hapjang
There is no button at the arch bridge. Walk onto it with the WASD keys or by dragging on a PC, or on a phone with the movement pad or by tapping where you want to go. Stop on the bridge, listen to the water, and when you are ready, head on toward the Heavenly Kings Gate. If the screen feels heavy, add ?q=low to the end of the address to lower the graphics quality.
Frequently asked questions
What does hongyegyo mean?
Hongye means "rainbow." A stone bridge built as a rounded, rainbow-like arch is called a hongyegyo, or rainbow bridge.
Is there anything to do at the arch bridge in Hapjang?
There is no button-based activity. It is a place to walk across, or to stop on the bridge and rest while listening to the stream.
Why do Korean temples have a bridge at the entrance?
Many mountain temples sit close to valleys, so the way in often crosses a stream. Crossing the bridge is often read as clearing the mind before entering the temple.
Related pages
- One-Pillar Gate (Iljumun) — First Gate of a Korean TempleThe One-Pillar Gate (Iljumun) is the first gate of a Korean mountain temple. In Hapjang, bow before it and get the first stamp in your Goyosa notebook.
- Heavenly Kings Gate: The Four Guardians of a TempleThe Heavenly Kings Gate is where the Four Heavenly Kings guard a Korean temple. In Hapjang, pass them on the way to the old ginkgo and inner gate.
- 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.
- 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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