Dabotap Pagoda of Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju

Dabotap and Seokgatap stand facing each other across the courtyard at Bulguksa, almost exactly the same height — 10.29 and 10.75 metres — and almost nothing else in common. Between them they cover the whole range of Korean pagoda design: Seokgatap is the standard type, and this is the exception. It is hard to count its storeys. Stairs run up all four sides of the base, a railing encloses the second level, and above that the form dissolves into octagonal and circular elements and finally a lotus. There is nothing else like it in Korea and no obvious model for it anywhere. The pair are here because the Lotus Sutra has Prabhutaratna, the Buddha of the past, appear beside Shakyamuni to confirm what he teaches. Dabotap is that Buddha. Four stone lions once sat on the stairs; three were taken during the colonial period and have never been found. If you have a ten-won coin, it is on it.

Original Text

Visiting

Opening hours

09:00-18:00 (Exit time 19:00) * No pets allowed

Closed

N/A (Open all year round)

Admission

Free

Parking

Available

Information

+82-54-746-9913

Visitor information: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Treasure · 국보