Yonghwasa is a small Buddhist temple in the Gyejok Mt. in Daejeon and is presumed to be a very old Buddhist temple due to the presence of Yonghwasaseokbulipsang (Tangible Cultural Asset No. 26 of the Daejeon Metropolitan City) believed to be produced in the Latter Baekje Dynasty in early 10th century next to the Daewoongjeon, the only Buddhist sanctuary in this temple. However, there is a possibility that it used to be a much bigger temple than its current scale, and even a theory that it may have been the former site of the Bongjusa that was said to have been situated on the northeast aspect of the Gyejok Mt. according to Donggukyeojiseungram.
Chief Buddhist monk, Inseong, erected the current temple on the site where only a single sanctuary, Yonghwajeon, where the Seokbulipsang was housed and a burnt straw-roofed house remained by constructing Daewoongjeon (the main sanctuary) and residence for monks in 1962. Since then, repairs were made on several occasions and the Yonghwasaseokbulipsang with height of 2.5m situated within the sanctuary was moved next to the Daewoongjeon in 1981.
In addition, Yonghwasa is situated in the midst of Gyejok Mt., which is the guardian mountain of Hoedeok-hyeon as well as a mountain that is deeply related to Buddhism.
In particular, the exceptionally beautiful scenery created by the setting sun of Gyejok Mt. is designated as one of the 8 most outstanding sceneries of Daejeon. As one looks onto the setting sun from the temple ground of Yonghwasa, one would even be able to experience peculiar sense of shudder as though the ends of all known human agonies and greed sinking into the setting sun.