Ten-story Stone Pagoda at Wongaksa Temple Site, Seoul

Wongaksa stood on the ground that is now Tapgol Park, founded in 1465 under King Sejo. It was protected as an important temple even under Joseon's policy of favouring Confucianism over Buddhism, until 1504, when Prince Yeonsan turned it into a house of entertainment called Yeonbangwon and expelled the monks. The temple ceased to exist. The pagoda is the only one of its form from the Joseon period and stands about twelve metres high. It is marble, and the dense carving over every part of it sits well against the grey-white of the stone. The base is in three tiers and, seen from above, takes the shape of the character 亞. Each face of each tier carries ornament — dragons, lions, lotus flowers. The body has ten storeys: the first three keep the shape of the base, and from the fourth upward the plan is square. Every storey imitates timber building in detail, with roofs, bracket sets and columns carved into the stone. Korean pagodas are usually granite. This one is marble, and in its overall form and in its details it closely resembles the ten-storey pagoda from Gyeongcheonsa, of the Goryeo period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Designation

National Treasure · 국보