West Five-story Stone Pagoda in Janghang-ri, Gyeongju

The Janghang-ri temple site lies at the foot of a ridge east of Tohamsan; the temple's name is not known, so it is called after the village. Beside the main hall site stand an east and a west pagoda. Both were brought down by looters in 1923; in 1932 only the west pagoda, which could be restored, was rebuilt. Of the east pagoda only the first-storey body and the roof stones up to the fifth remain, but the west pagoda survives fairly complete apart from a few losses. The west pagoda has five storeys on a two-tier base. The base is fairly broad and stable, with pillars carved at the corners and the middle of each face. Each body stone and roof stone is a single block, and each face of the first-storey body carries a pair of guardian kings standing at a door. The roof stones have five steps beneath, flat thin slopes and clearly lifted corners, adding lightness. On top of the fifth roof stone only the square base of the finial remains. The pairs of guardian kings finely carved on each face of the first storey are unusual; this first appears in the early eighth century and is the pagoda's distinctive feature. Regarded as an eighth-century masterpiece, beautiful in proportion and excellent in carving, it is a precious source for the study of Unified Silla stone pagodas.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Treasure · 국보