23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Between the Sacred and the Profane

Photographed at a Buddhist temple in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, South Korea. Through the temple's entrance gate, a Southeast Asian monk goes about his daily work in the outer courtyard. The image captures the intersection of sacred and everyday life—where spiritual practice meets routine labor, and the temple threshold marks the boundary between contemplative space and the world of tasks and duties.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2024
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: jeju, South Korea
Copyright: © seomin lee