Today is Buddha's Birthday, a national holiday here involving at least a week of special events. The streets are lined with colourful lanterns, and there's a huge parade down the middle of Seoul. This year, the lead Buddhist sects have decided to put off Buddha's Birthday itself until May 30. Anyway, I visited an abandoned Buddhist temple to celebrate anyway.

1. It was located at the end of an alley stretching up a hill on the edge of a large redevelopment zone.


2. Getting there involved climbing through multiple yards over brittle concrete fences. This is looking back the way I came.


3. Either the temple's this way, or the alt-right is planning its next parade.


4. Holy crap that's a lot of pigeons.


5. The temple was in a compound of small buildings. One had been smashed with shoes still sitting outside. The main hall was still intact.


6. All the paintings and statues had been left behind here.


7. We decided to do a few bows.


8. Then as I was playing with a wooden bell, everything went dark for some reason.


9. I woke up surrounded by golden statues.


10. Is this reincarnation?


11. Fortunately I wasn't alone.


12. We climbed out of there.


13. When I awoke, I was on a different plane of existence.


14.

Love it ! The place is still in amazing conditions. Was it abandoned recently ?
The way you put your small versions of your crew in your sets is really cool.

Posted by urbX360 Love it ! The place is still in amazing conditions. Was it abandoned recently ? The way you put your small versions of your crew in your sets is really cool.

It would have been abandoned within the last couple years for urban renewal. We think someone will come back for the statues before they're demolished. The hall was pretty clean, no more than maybe half a year of dust. The front gate is deadbolted from the inside, so I doubt any monks are making regular visits inside.

Love the creativity of these shoots! I need to see more!!

Awesome steed. You look like you have a lot of fun.


Where do all those Buddha's get made?


Strange to see large religious holidays be barren. Same here in the states for Easter.

Trump's hopes for full pews on Easter, didn't happen.

Happy birthday Sid ... this is such a fun way to celebrate. For some crazy reason your exploration party reminds me of one of those surreal scenes in a Haruki Murakami novel. Are those small figurines of yourselves made using a 3D printer?

Posted by RAYGUN Are those small figurines of yourselves made using a 3D printer?

Yes, they weren't cheap. You stand in a cylinder filled with dozens of DSLRs pointing inward and they all take your picture at once.

I just found out recently the company went out of business. I had plans to get a number more figures made, including of UEey the Clown and Santa.

Posted by Steed I just found out recently the company went out of business.

Well, now you can visit their place again when it's empty ;)

Your action figures are too cool! Is it more fun to take pictures of them or yourselves?