Five-story Stone Pagoda in Gyesan-ri, Cheongju

This pagoda stands in a field on the hill south of Malmijangteo market in Gyesan-ri, and consists of a five-story body raised on a single-tier foundation. In the foundation, the central stones are interlocked with one another and bear no carving. In the pagoda body, the body stones of the first and third storeys are each made up of four stones, while those of the second, fourth and fifth storeys are each a single stone. The roof stones of the first and second storeys are each made of two stones, while those of the third storey upward are each a single stone. The stepped supports beneath the roof stones number five tiers at the first and second storeys, four tiers at the third and fourth storeys, and are reduced to three tiers at the fifth storey. The upper (rain-drip) surface of the roof stones slopes steeply, and because the supports beneath the roof stones extend all the way to the tips of the eaves, the pagoda gives a somewhat heavy impression, though overall it is well balanced and stable. This pagoda appears to have been built in the mid-Goryeo period; the rate of diminution between the upper and lower roof stones is so regular that the whole structure feels stable, making it an outstanding work.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Cheongju, Chungbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물