Shrines of Chinese and Japanese gods still remaining in Korea
'Seoul Donggwanwangmyo' A 'Shrine of Guan Yu' built by Ming Dynasty soldiers stationed here during the Imjin War to pray to the Chinese god of war, 'Guan Yu'. Because of this, the architecture follows the Ming style rather than the Joseon style of the time. It was built right after the Imjin War and went through cycles of being neglected or maintained, making it a controversial building even during the Joseon Dynasty, but it's currently being preserved as a historical landmark.
'Gwangju Songjeong Shrine' Supposedly one of the only remaining Shinto shrines from the Japanese colonial era in Korea. It was a place for worshipping the Japanese deity Amaterasu. The original torii and stairs were destroyed, and the interior was completely renovated into a Buddhist style. After liberation, it was managed by a Buddhist temple and provided various welfare services to local residents, which is why it survived without being torn down by the locals.
"Users are fascinated by the weird survival stories of these shrines, especially the Shinto one that basically got 'tamed' by a Buddhist temple. Guan Yu gets some shade for losing his final battle, and someone is just hungry for tteokgalbi."
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