While there is no clear evidence about its origin, Bogwangsa Temple in Cheongsong is believed to have been established in 668 (8th year of the reign of King Munmu of Silla) by the great Silla monk Uisang (625-702). According to Yeojidoseo (Collected Chronicles and Maps, 1765), “Bogwangsa, located five-li [i.e. two kilometers] south of the local administrative office, is a guardian temple for the tomb of Sim Hong-bu.” The record reveals that the temple was a prayer house for the Cheongsong Sim clan. The recent discovery of a prayer inscribed on the main beam of the temple’s Geungnakjeon Hall shows that it was built in 1615.
The current structure consists of two lofty columns and five main beams supporting a gable roof whose eaves are fitted with multiple decorative bracket clusters. Characteristically, a fish-shaped wooden ornament is hung on the upper part of each gable.