Three-story Stone Pagoda in Hyeon-ri, Yeongyang

This pagoda takes the form of a three-storey body raised on a two-tier base. On the lower tier of the base, the Twelve Zodiac Deities are carved, three figures to each side. On the upper tier, pillar-shaped carvings are placed at the four corners and in the centre of each face, and within each section divided by these pillars, images of the Eight Legions (guardian deities who protect Buddhism) are carved. Such images of the Eight Legions began to appear on stone pagodas from the middle Unified Silla period onward; they served not merely as decoration but also expressed the belief that the pagoda represented Mount Sumeru, the world of the Buddha. On the first-storey body stone of the pagoda, images of the Four Heavenly Kings are carved in relief on each side. The underside of each roof stone is grooved to drain water away, and four-tiered supports are provided beneath each roof stone. Judging from its overall composition and carving technique, this pagoda is presumed to have been built around the ninth century, in the late Unified Silla period.

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Where it is

Region

Yeongyang, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물