Habitual critter that I am, I enjoyed these Korean Buddhist temples first and only later came to appreciate their history. Both straddle Expressway #1 running through the southeastern city of Yangsan and can be explored in a day. The larger, Tongdosa, is a member of the Three Jewels Temples club, the gems being the dharma or Buddhist teachings, the sangha or monastic community and the Enlightened One himself. Odd then that as the representative jewel of Buddha, Tongdosa has no outdoor statues of Sakyamuni. The impressive reason is that the grounds house several authentic relics of Buddha including a begging bowl and a skull bone. According to temple history, the objects were brought from Tang China by monk and Tongdosa founder Jajang. The second attraction, Hongryeongsa, is significantly compact in comparison but makes creative use of its landscape. The location in early January was cold and lifeless but easy enough to picture as a storybook of sorts when the spring greens hit and Hongnyong Waterfall is at full gush.