Temple Site in Janghang-ri, Gyeongju

This is a Unified Silla-period temple site set at a relatively high point in the valley to the southeast of Tohamsan Mountain. The valley containing the site forms the upper reaches of the Daejongcheon Stream, which flows past the front of the Gameunsa temple site and out into the Donghae (East Sea). Neither the date of the temple's construction nor its name has survived; it has come to be known as the Janghang-ri temple site after the name of the village. Still remaining at the site are the five-storey stone pagoda that served as the west pagoda, the scattered stone members of the destroyed east pagoda, and a stone Buddha pedestal. The pedestal, at what appears to have been the main hall site, has two tiers: the lower tier is octagonal and carved with decoration, and the upper tier is a round pedestal carved with lotus designs. The stone Buddha statue thought to have once sat upon it had been broken into several pieces and has since been restored; it is now kept in the Gyeongju National Museum. The west pagoda was blown up during the Japanese colonial period by grave robbers seeking treasure said to be hidden inside it, and has since been repaired and re-erected. The scattered stones of the east pagoda have been gathered together at the site. The Janghang-ri temple site is notable for its use of the narrow space between the valley slopes to erect twin pagodas, with the main hall placed centrally behind them. This twin-pagoda, single-main-hall arrangement is typical of the Unified Silla period, though the sites of the lecture hall and surrounding corridors have not yet been identified.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Historic Site · 사적