• Gyeongsangbuk-do

    Five-Story Brick Pagoda in Unheung-dong, Andong – 안동 운흥동 오층전탑 (Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do)

    Pagoda History The “Five-Story Brick Pagoda in Unheung-dong” is located in central Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do to the north of a trainyard and to the east of Homeplus. This brick pagoda is believed to have once belonged to Beomninsa Temple, which was written about in a couple of sources. One of these records is the “Dongguk yeoji seungnam – Augumented Survey of the Geography of Korea,” which was written in 1481. Another source is the “Yeonggaji – Record of the Andong Region,” which was written in 1608. According to the “Yeonggaji – Record of the Andong Region,” the brick pagoda at Beomnimsa Temple was a seven-story structure. As a result, historians believe…

  • Jeollabuk-do

    Five-Story Stone Pagoda in Wanggung-ri – 익산 왕궁리 오층석탑 (Iksan, Jeollabuk-do)

    Temple Site History The Five-Story Stone Pagoda in Wanggung-ri is located in northeastern Iksan, Jeollabuk-do in the the Archaeological Site in Wanggung-ri, which is a Historic Site. It is unknown as to when this pagoda was first built, whether it was during the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C. – 660 A.D.), or during Unified Silla (668-935 A.D.), or during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). However, what is known is that the pagoda was created in the typical Baekje Kingdom style. From 1965-66, the Five-Story Stone Pagoda in Wanggung-ri was dissembled and reassembled. Prior to this, the base of the pagoda was buried in the ground. In total, the large pagoda consists of…

  • Gyeongsangbuk-do

    Five-Story Stone Brick Pagoda in Sanhae-ri – 산해리 오층모전석탑 (Yeongyang, Gyeongsangbuk-do)

    The History and Design of the Brick Pagoda The Five-Story Stone Brick Pagoda in Sanhae-ri is located in a small farming village known as Bonggam in Yeongyang, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The pagoda is beautifully placed next to a meandering stream, and it’s believed that the pagoda once stood at a temple from Unified Silla (668-935 A.D.) that has long since disappeared. In fact, very little is known about the pagoda and the temple, and even less is written about it. There are simply no historical records or stories about this former temple. It isn’t until the 1930’s, and through Kyouichi Ariyama’s work, that the Five-Story Stone Brick Pagoda in Sanhae-ri becomes known.…

  • Artwork

    Tap – The Korean Pagoda: 탑

    Introduction One of the most noticeable, and important features of a Korean Buddhist temple is a pagoda. The history of the pagoda in Korea is as old as Buddhism in Korea. And while a pagoda’s design is both beautiful and elegant, it’s also packed with symbolic meaning that may not always be all that evident. So when did the pagoda first appear in Korea? Why is the pagoda situated at a Korean Buddhist temple? What do they look like? And why are they designed the way they are? History Originally, in India, Buddhist temples were centred around stupas. The word stupa means heap in Sanskrit because these pagodas were in…

  • Gyeongju

    Bunhwangsa Temple – 분황사 (Gyeongju)

    Temple History Bunhwangsa Temple is located in downtown Gyeongju near Hwangnyongsa-ji Temple Site and Wol-ji Pond. Bunhwangsa Temple means “Fragrant Emperor/Imperial Temple,” in English. Bunhwangsa Temple was first established in 634 A.D. under the auspices of the famed Silla ruler, Queen Seondeok (r.632-647 A.D.). At this time, during Queen Seondeok’s reign, Buddhism was only a century old, having only been adopted by the Silla Kingdom in 527 A.D. by King Beopheung (r.514-540 A.D). Early in its history, Bunhwangsa Temple was a large temple. It consisted of an inner gate, three golden halls, an assembly hall, a gallery, and a stone pagoda (which is the only thing that still remains today…