East and West Three-story Stone Pagodas in Namsan-dong, Gyeongju

These are two pagodas, an unusual example of a pair of pagodas built to the east and west in differing styles, like Seokgatap Pagoda and Dabotap Pagoda at Bulguksa Temple. The east pagoda follows the style of a brick-imitation stone pagoda, built by dressing stone into brick-like blocks and stacking them. The west pagoda follows the typical style of a three-storey stone pagoda. For the east pagoda, the base stone forming the foundation of the pagoda is laid wide in two layers, and on top of it eight well-dressed stones are fitted together as a single tier to form the platform. The body stone and roof stone of each storey of the pagoda body are each made of a single stone. The underside of the roof stones has supporting tiers, and both the support and the sloping upper surface each form five steps, just like a brick-imitation stone pagoda. The west pagoda has a three-storey body set on an upper platform; on the two-tiered platform, one side is divided into two and carved with the Eight Legions, guardian deities of Buddhism. The Eight Legions appear from the mid-Silla period onwards and are not mere decoration but an expression of faith representing the pagoda as Mount Sumeru, the world of the Buddha. In the pagoda body, the body stone and roof stone of each storey are each a single stone, and corner pillars are carved at each storey. The underside of the roof stones has five support steps. While paired pagodas built in the Unified Silla period were generally made in the same style, these east and west pagodas are expressed in different styles, an uncommon feature, and they stand facing each other in overall harmony.

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Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물