Originally the temple had been constructed by Master Yomgu in 854 CE and then greatly enlargedin 952. Even though the temple is not in the mountains, it bestows a sense of peace and well-being on those who enter its gates. The name of the temple, as is so often the case, comes from a legend. On the night before the day of the completion of the building activities, King Chongjo dreamed of a dragon soaring up into the sky and there receiving the Pearl of Truth, the Wish-Fulfilling Gem. Therefore the temple came to be called Dragon's Pearl of Truth Temple.
Dragons are auspicious animals with divine properties.
Considered a symbol of regal authority, the dragon was also thought to dispel evil spirits. Dragons are usually related to heaven and water and are used in rituals involving rain. Considered protectors, they have always been seen as important in protecting Korea from invasion and so there are many legends about sea dragons who defend the peninsula. The kings of the family who founded the Koryo Dynasty were all reputed to be descendants of the Divine Sea Dragon and each one of the family had a dragon scale in his or her armpit. In 1911 the temple was made one of the 24 main temples of the Korean Buddhist Chogye Order.