Five-story Stone Pagoda at Manboksa Temple Site, Namwon

This pagoda stands on the old site of Manboksa Temple, said to have been founded in the Goryeo period by the monk Doseon. A wooden pagoda is thought to have originally stood at the centre of the temple site, and seven seasons of excavation between 1979 and 1985 uncovered the remains of many buildings along with numerous relics. Only the first four storeys of the pagoda survive today; the fifth storey and everything above it has been lost. The foundation, which serves as the pagoda's base, is buried in the ground, apparently because the ground level in the area rose over time. The first-storey body stone is very tall, while from the second storey up the size is reduced to about a third. Corner pillars are carved on each edge of the body stones, and the roof stones curve upward along their entire underside, giving the impression of looking at the roof of a wooden building. A distinctive feature is that a separate square stone is inserted on top of each roof stone to support the body stone above, an example that reveals the characteristics of stone pagodas of the period. This pagoda was built in the eleventh century, during the reign of King Munjong of Goryeo. When it was repaired in 1968, a reliquary was found in the first-storey body stone.

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Where it is

Region

Namwon, Jeonbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물