East and West Three-story Stone Pagodas at Sudoam Hermitage of Cheongamsa Temple, Gimcheon

These twin pagodas stand to the east and west of Daejeokgwangjeon Hall; tradition holds that they were erected by State Preceptor Doseon in the third year of King Heonan of Silla (859). Because the front courtyard is narrow, the pagodas stand close to the main hall. The east pagoda has a three-storey body set on a single-tiered base, with corner pillars lightly carved on each face of the base. The first-storey body stone has the distinctive shape of being narrower at the top and wider at the bottom; on each face is a square niche, a recess for housing a Buddha image, within which a seated Buddha is carved in relief. On the body stones of the second and third storeys, pillar shapes are carved at each corner. The roof stones are thin and broad, and the eaves supports are formed of four tiers. The west pagoda has a three-storey body set on a two-tiered base. Compared with the first-storey body stone, the second-storey body stone is considerably reduced in size, while the third-storey body stone is similar to the second. On the first-storey body stone only pillars are carved at each corner, with a seated Buddha carved between them. Its roof stones are thinner and broader than those of the east pagoda, and its base has five tiers. Both pagodas are presumed to have been built sometime after the middle of the Unified Silla period, and each shows distinctive features: the east pagoda is notable for the narrowing at the top of its first-storey body stone and for its niche, while the west pagoda is notable for the spacing beneath its roof stones and for the breadth of the roof stones themselves.

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Where it is

Region

Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물