Seven-story Stone Pagoda, Chuncheon

This pagoda stands at the centre of the town of Chuncheon. During the reign of King Injo of Joseon, Yu Jeong-rip, the local magistrate at the time, was dismissed from office after the Injo Restoration and retired to his hometown; while levelling ground near this pagoda to build a house, he discovered a vessel inscribed with the words 'Chungwonsa (忠圓寺),' suggesting that the site may once have belonged to Chungwonsa Temple. The pagoda suffered severe damage during the Korean War and was left in poor condition, with part of its base buried underground; a full-scale repair carried out in 2000 restored the base to its original form. Excavation of the lower part of the pagoda confirmed that a seven-storey body rests on a two-tiered base. The upper tier of the base, which serves as the pagoda's platform, is considerably wide relative to the body stones, giving a sense of stability, and a slab carved with a lotus pattern sits on the topmost stone of the base to support the first-storey body stone. The seven-storey body decreases appropriately in size towards the top; although the smallness of the body relative to the width of the base is notable, the sheer height of seven storeys compensates for this imbalance in proportion, giving an overall sense of stability instead. The gently sloping roof stones have six-tiered supports on the underside from the first to the third storey and five tiers from the fourth storey upward, with the four corners curving up slightly for a light, buoyant look. Judging from its overall appearance, it is thought to have been made around the mid-Goryeo period. Regrettably, the finial at the top has been entirely lost, and the four corners of the roof stones are almost completely damaged.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Chuncheon, Gangwon

Designation

Treasure · 보물