Three-story Stone Pagoda of Beopgyesa Temple, Sancheong

Beopgyesa Temple, set on the eastern slope of Cheonwangbong Peak on Jirisan Mountain, is said to have been founded by Master Yeongi in the fifth year of King Jinheung of Silla (544). At an elevation of 1,400m, it is the highest-situated temple in Korea. After the main hall was destroyed by fire during the Korean War, only a cave dwelling kept the temple's tradition alive until a new main hall was recently built, restoring the temple to its proper form. This pagoda, standing to the left of the main hall, consists of a three-storey body raised directly on a natural rock. The body stones and roof stones of each storey are each carved from a single block, and the corners of the body stones are carved with broad pillar shapes. The roof stones are relatively thick, and the underside of each has three tiers of supports. The finial is topped with a shell-shaped stone, thought to be a later addition. Pagodas that use natural rock as their base became popular from the Silla period onward, but it is rare for the lower base to be treated as simply as in this pagoda. The simplified style and somewhat unrefined feel set it apart from typical Silla stone pagoda style, suggesting that it is a stone pagoda of the Goryeo period.

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Where it is

Region

Sancheong, Gyeongnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물