Three-story Stone Pagoda of Donghwasa Temple, Suncheon

This pagoda stands in front of the main hall of Donghwasa Temple. Its base is almost entirely buried underground, with a three-storey body built up above it. The uppermost stone of the base that is visible above ground is made up of four slabs and slopes downward. Each storey of the body consists of a single roof stone and a single body stone, with pillar shapes carved at the corners of each body stone. The underside of each roof stone has three tiers of supporting brackets, but the marked differences in height between the storeys give a somewhat formulaic impression. The sharply cut sides at the four corners of the roof stones also make them look heavy overall. At the top, the finial ornaments — the base, inverted bowl, upturned lotus, wheel and a roof-shaped canopy piece — survive almost intact. As the overall size of the pagoda diminishes, the carved detail of each part becomes weaker and the roof-stone brackets are likewise reduced to three tiers, so that the pagoda clearly reflects the stylistic transition from the late Unified Silla period into Goryeo.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Suncheon, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Treasure · 보물