One after another, pre-ordered products close early… There is also a temple food cooking class just for pets.
Buddhist communities and local governments are also expanding events to experience Buddhist culture with pets.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Se-rin = As the demand for traveling with pets increases, programs such as staying at a temple and experiencing Buddhist culture or enjoying temple food are attracting attention as new content for traveling with pets.
According to Pet Life, a platform specializing in pet travel, on the 5th, reservations for the 'Dangle Stay' program, which will be held at Gyhyangsa Temple (formerly Gwaneumsa Temple) in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Iamsa Temple in Yeongdong, and Mireuksa Temple in Jeungpyeong on the 18th of this month and the 2nd and 10th of next month, respectively, closed early.
Daengple Stay is a combination of the words ‘dog’, a new word meaning dog, and ‘temple stay’, which refers to staying at a temple and experiencing Buddhist culture. It refers to a temple experience program for guardians and dogs together.
The number of participants per session is usually limited to around 10 teams.
The program is divided into a one-day experience type and a 2-day and 1-night stay type, and the price ranges from 100,000 to 400,000 won. Some products include lunch offerings and rental of temple uniforms made separately for dogs.
Participants can stay at the temple with their dogs, learn basic temple etiquette and stories related to the space, and participate in various experiences such as walking, tea with a monk, making lotus lanterns, meditation, and worship by learning 108 bow postures.
Mr. Kwak, the guardian of a 4-year-old Pomeranian who experienced a dangle stay at Gwaneumsa Temple, said, “My dog seemed to behave more politely as I walked around the temple grounds wearing temple clothes,” and added, “Unlike busy tourist attractions, I was able to find peace of mind in nature.”
Mr. Yoon, the guardian of an 8-year-old Bichon Frize, also said, “It is good to be able to focus on resting in the quiet atmosphere of the temple,” and “The dog also becomes much calmer.”
Thanks to this popularity, temple uniforms specifically for dogs are being released on the market, not only for rental but also for separate purchase. From small dogs to large dogs, they are segmented into sizes according to body type and clothing made with pet-friendly materials is introduced.
As demand for experiencing Buddhist culture with pets increases, programs using temple food have also appeared.
On the 29th of last month, Sono Pet Club & Resort held the 'K-Temple Food Cooking Class with Pet' with pet food brand Pettriants.
This event was structured in such a way that guardians made their own temple food and their dogs were provided with a ‘pet pairing’ menu using ingredients used in temple food.
An official from Sono Pet Club & Resort said, “The feature is that it is designed so that owners and dogs can experience the same topic of food and wellness in a way that suits each person.”
He added, "We expanded our interest in healthy food culture and wellness into travel experiences with pets, and combined differentiated content such as Korean temple food with a menu for dogs."
The Buddhist community is also preparing cultural experience programs that people can participate in with their pets.
At the '2026 Korea Buddhist Culture Expo' held at EXCO in Daegu from June 11th to 14th, a 'Pet-Friendly Buddhism Program' was introduced for the first time since the event was held.
Free admission is provided to visitors with pets, and a dedicated booth selling vegetarian snacks for pets has been set up in the exhibition hall.
Local governments are also introducing Buddhist tourism programs for pets.
Cheongju City operated Dangle Stay in May to meet the increasing demand for travel with pets, and will continue the program this month and next month.
Kim Heon-sik, a popular culture critic, said, "Buddhism is relatively open and communication-friendly toward pet culture due to its emphasis on life. It is meaningful in that the Buddhist community is providing such spaces as the demand for spaces and opportunities to visit with pets is growing."
He continued, “As the number of people raising companion animals increases, the culture of respect for life and sharing will become more important,” adding, “In particular, the role of the Buddhist community is expected to increase in promoting animal welfare and solving the problem of abandoned animals.”
