Donghwasa is the most visited Buddhist temple on Mount Palgong and one of the significant temples in the Gyeongbuk region. The temple complex was founded in the 5th century and expanded many times since; the main hall dates from a 17th-century restoration after the Japanese invasions. The compound is large, with multiple halls, pagodas, and subsidiary buildings spread across a wooded valley.
The centrepiece for most visitors is the immense outdoor Buddha statue towering over the approach path. At 33 metres, it is hard to miss. The temple grounds proper, behind the statue, are more sedate — stone lanterns along a tree-lined path, the main hall with its painted timber facade, and a bell pavilion with views up the mountain.
The temple is a 45-minute bus ride from Daegu station. On weekends in autumn and spring, the roads to Palgong become congested; the bus is more reliable than a taxi for predicting journey time.