Gakhwangjeon Hall of Hwaeomsa Temple, Gurye

Hwaeomsa Temple, on the southern slope of Jirisan Mountain, is said to date from the Unified Silla period. Under Joseon it was a head temple of the Seon school; it burned completely in the Japanese invasions and was rebuilt under King Injo, and has come down from there. Where Gakhwangjeon Hall stands there was once a three-storey hall called Jangyukjeon, with the Flower Garland Sutra carved on its four walls; it was destroyed in the invasions, and more than ten thousand fragments are kept at the temple. The hall was rebuilt in 1702, and the name Gakhwangjeon is said to have been given by King Sukjong himself, who sent the name board. It stands on a stone platform that appears to be Silla work: a two-storey building seven bays wide and five deep, under a hipped-and-gabled roof shaped like the character 八 seen from the side. The brackets carrying the eaves sit between the columns as well as on them, which makes it very rich. Inside, the two storeys are open to each other, and three Buddhas and four bodhisattvas are enshrined. The ceiling is coffered like the character 井, sloping down at the edges towards the walls on all four sides. It is a building of great scale and excellent technique, and is counted among the finest in the country.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gurye, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

National Treasure · 국보