South Three-story Stone Pagoda at Hangyesa Temple Site, Inje

The Hangyesa temple site lies at Jangsudae, halfway up Hangyeryeong (Hangye Pass). The Hangye stream flows in front, and a mountain ridge unfolds like a folding screen behind. According to a book written by Han Yong-un, the temple was founded by the monk Jajang in the first year of Queen Jindeok of Silla (647). After several rounds of repair, it is thought to have remained an active temple until around the end of the 17th century. The foundation stones of its buildings still remain at the site today, along with many stone structures, including two three-story stone pagodas, a Buddha image and a stone lantern. Of the two three-story stone pagodas, sometimes regarded as a pair, this is the one standing in front of the site of the main hall. It has a two-tiered base serving as a platform, above which rises a three-story pagoda body. The lower tier of the base is carved in shallow relief with round niches, while the upper tier has pillar shapes carved at the four corners and at the centre of each face. On the roof stones of the pagoda body, the number of support tiers on the underside is five for the first and second stories but reduced to four for the third, and the eaves are horizontal but curve up slightly at the ends. No finial ornament survived at the top, but one has recently been restored and placed there. This is a general-type stone pagoda in the Unified Silla style, presumed to have been made around the mid-9th century. It had been moved to stand beside an old mountain lodge and has since been restored to its original location; in restoring the damaged sections, the stone was cut too sharply, so it does not match the original stonework well. Compared with the North Three-story Stone Pagoda on the hill to the north-west, differences in the carved patterns on the base and in the number of roof-support tiers make this pagoda a valuable resource for the study of stone pagodas.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Inje, Gangwon

Designation

Treasure · 보물