Cheondogyo means 'Religion of the Heavenly Way', and this temple is the hall of worship for a home-grown faith containing Buddhist, Confucian and Christian elements that gathered momentum in the 1860s. Designed by a Japanese architect and completed in 1921, this is a handsome baroque-style, red-brick and stone building with a tower. Inside, the wood panelling, lines of chairs and plain decoration create an impression of a lecture theatre, although there are stained-glass windows.
Cheondogyo members were key figures in the Donghak rebellion and the independence movements opposed to Japanese rule. The founder, Great Master Suun (1824–64), was executed for being a radical reformer. Followers believe that God is within everyone. Services are held every Sunday at 11am.
