Seven-story Brick Pagoda at Beopheungsa Temple Site, Andong

A brick pagoda — built of fired earth — thought to have belonged to Beopheungsa, founded in the Unified Silla period. Seven storeys are stacked squarely on a single-tier base. On each face of the base stand granite carvings of the eight classes of divine beings and the four guardian kings, and steps on the south side lead up to the niche cut into the first storey to hold an image. The body is built of plain dark-grey brick. Brick pagodas normally step their roofs above and below; the marks left on top of these suggest tiles were laid on them instead. The top of the base has been rendered in cement, which is a pity. Even so, at seven storeys, 17 m high with a base 7.75 m across, it holds itself remarkably steadily, and it is the largest and oldest brick pagoda left in the country. The traces of roof tiles also stand as evidence that brick pagodas were built in imitation of wooden ones.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Andong, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Treasure · 국보