Simply stunning: 33 incredible Korean temples

Seonam-sa

There are some 900 traditional Buddhist temples in Korea -- and around 20,000 in total. A visit to any of these local places of worship -- many of them centuries-old -– can be a humbling, calming or uplifting experience.

Many of them can be found nestled in the countless mountains throughout the country, usually in locations believed to have the best pung-su (feng shui) of the area.

But despite the endlessly beautiful and endlessly numerous temples, even the most serious pilgrim need not visit all 900. The 33 temples below -- 33 as in Buddha's 33 steps to enlightenment -- are simply breathtaking. 

View all 33 temples from CNN Go