Three-story Stone Pagoda of Byeoksongsa Temple, Hamyang

Byeoksongsa Temple was founded in 1520, the fifteenth year of King Jungjong of Joseon, by the monk Byeoksong. The pagoda has a three-story body set on a two-tiered platform, in the style of Unified Silla. Given that the temple's founding date is 1520, this pagoda, built in the Silla style during the Joseon period, is a highly noteworthy work. On the lower tier of the two-tiered platform, pillar shapes are lightly carved at the four corners and in the middle of each face of the middle stone; a distinctive feature is a tall separate stone inserted between the base stone and the lower platform. The topmost stone of the upper platform consists of a single slab, with a thin horizontal step carved beneath it. On the body of the pagoda, pillar shapes are carved at the corners of each story. The roof stones have thin, straight eaves whose ends curve upward only gently on the lower stories, whereas the upper part of the roof stones has a steep slope and a pronounced upward curve. The number of support tiers on the underside of the roof stones is two for the first and second stories and three for the third. At the top, only the nobal, the base of the finial, and the bokbal, an ornament shaped like an upturned bowl, remain of the head ornament. This pagoda faithfully carries on the basic style of Silla stone pagodas, whose ornamental art was highly developed, and its composition is well ordered; it is thought to have been erected in the early Joseon period. It is also noteworthy that, unlike the usual practice of placing a pagoda in front of the main hall, this pagoda stands on a hill behind the temple.

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Where it is

Region

Hamyang, Gyeongnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물