Daeungjeon Hall of Jeondeungsa Temple, Ganghwa

Jeondeungsa Temple is said to have been founded in 381, the eleventh year of King Sosurim of Goguryeo, by the monk Ado, but its history up to the mid-Goryeo period is not clearly known. In 1605, the thirty-eighth year of King Seonjo of Joseon, and again in 1614, the sixth year of King Gwanghaegun, major fires destroyed the entire temple; reconstruction began the following year, and the temple is said to have regained its original appearance in 1621, the thirteenth year of King Gwanghaegun. The Daeungjeon Hall, which enshrines a Buddha triad centred on Sakyamuni, is known to have been built in 1621, the thirteenth year of King Gwanghaegun. It measures three kan across the front and three kan on the side, and its roof is a hip-and-gable roof (paljakjibung) forming the shape of the character for "eight" (八) when viewed from the side. It is built in the tapo style, in which decorative bracket structures supporting the eaves are placed not only above the columns but also between them. Human figures are carved at the tops of the four corner columns, and legend holds that they represent a tavern keeper who stole money from the carpenter in charge of the construction. Having lost his money, the carpenter is said to have carved her naked figure as a warning against her wrongdoing and to make her atone for her sin, setting her to support the eaves. At two of the corners she supports the eaves with both hands as if enduring punishment, while at the other two she supports them with only one hand, seeming to shirk her punishment even as she suffers it - a detail in which the wit and humour of our forebears can be felt. The hall reveals the skilled carving techniques of its period and is valued as important material for the study of architectural history from the mid-Joseon period onward.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Ganghwa, Incheon

Designation

Treasure · 보물