Three-story Stone Pagoda in Daepo-ri, Sancheong

This pagoda stands in the village of Daepo-ri, the seat of Samjang-myeon township, its three-storey body raised on a two-tiered foundation. Each face of the foundation bears carvings imitating pillars at the corners and in the centre. Notably, the lower tier of the foundation has two central pillars on each face, an unusual feature for this region. The body of the pagoda was built by stacking, storey by storey, a single stone carved as the body and a single stone carved as the roof, and the second and third storeys are noticeably reduced in size compared with the first. The roof stones each have four tiers of supports on the underside, with the upper surface sloping gently and rising slowly at the four corners. The eaves are level, and their upward turn at each end is vigorous. Nothing remains of the pagoda's finial, giving the impression that the upward flow of the structure was suddenly cut off. The pagoda had collapsed after being looted and has since been re-erected; in particular, the first-storey body stone, which had housed the reliquary, a container for Buddhist relics, was severely damaged and has been newly made and fitted in its place. Given the two-tiered foundation and the four-tiered supports on the underside of the roof stones, the pagoda is thought to date from the late Unified Silla period. The paired central pillars on the lower foundation are, in particular, a rare feature in this region, and although partly damaged, the pagoda has largely retained its original form and is therefore of great value.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Sancheong, Gyeongnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물