“Youth Temple Stay”, which invites young people exhausted by study and job preparation to mountain temples, is held across the country throughout July. Hosted by the Korea Buddhist Cultural Business Foundation, the event targets around 7,000 young people aged 19 to 34 and offers the one-night, two-day programme at a discounted rate of 30,000 won. It gives young people who want to step away from daily life for a moment and look back at themselves a chance to find the calm of a mountain temple.
What is the event, where is it, and who is it for?
“Youth Temple Stay” runs from 1 July to 31 July 2026 at 98 temples nationwide. Participating temples include Beopgyesa in Seoul; Yongmunsa in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi; Jeondeungsa in Incheon; Naksansa in Yangyang, Gangwon; Guinsa in Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do; Seonunsan in Gochang, Jeollabuk-do; Tongdosa in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do; and Beomeosa in Busan, among others. The target group is young people aged from 19 to 34, who can apply by choosing the region and atmosphere—from temples in cities to temple grounds deep in the mountains.
One night, two days for 30,000 won
The most striking point is the participation fee. This event is run at a discounted rate of 30,000 won for a one-night, two-day stay. The price includes accommodation and the programme. It is designed to make it easier for young people, who face heavy financial pressure, to take part in an experience at a mountain temple. The recruitment quota is about 7,000 people in total.
A day filled with meditation, temple dining, and forest paths
According to BBS coverage, the programme includes meditation and temple dining, a service of offerings, walking along forest paths and tea talks. The day begins with an early-morning service, then participants learn again the attitude of meeting food through temple dining with a bowl; afterwards they spend time walking and sitting on forest paths, paying attention to their breathing. Rather than focusing on outcomes or speed, the experience of staying with the body and mind in this very moment helps participants learn how mindfulness works in everyday life. For young people who have never been taught how to take care of themselves separately, such a day can offer a rest that is brief yet different in character.
Applications were made by signing up for membership and then reserving through the official Temple Stay website (www.templestay.com). Reservations opened in regional batches. In the Seoul/Gyeonggi/Incheon/Chungcheong/Sejong area, registration started from 1pm on 24 June, while in the Gangwon/Jeolla/Gwangju/Gyeongsang/Daegu/Busan area it opened from 1pm on 25 June. Detailed schedules and programmes by temple can be checked on the website.
The value of time to set worries down
Ilya Korea Buddhist Cultural Business Foundation president said, “I hope young people who are living busily will take time to put down their worries and concerns for a moment and reflect on themselves.” Spending a night in an unfamiliar setting such as a temple, focusing on silence and breathing, gives young people who have been running towards achievement a chance to pause their direction for a while and ask themselves questions. Because the event offers meditation and mindfulness not as special training but as a kind of rest that anyone can enjoy, the meaning of this programme is not small.
