Mireukdaewon Stone Temple Site, Chungju

Mireukdaewon, situated at a high elevation, is the site of a man-made stone-cave temple built to house and protect a stone Buddha. A cave was built up using massive stones and a Buddha statue enshrined within it; traces show that a wooden building once stood above it, but this no longer survives. Investigations uncovered roof tiles inscribed with "Mireuk-dangcho," on the basis of which the site is dated to the early Goryeo period. Important cultural heritage here includes a standing stone Buddha (a treasure), a five-storey stone pagoda (a treasure), a stone lantern, and a flagpole support. According to legend, Crown Prince Maui, son of King Gyeongsun of Silla, grieved over the fall of his kingdom and set out for Geumgangsan Mountain; along the way his sister, Princess Deokju, built Deokjusa Temple on Woraksan Mountain and carved a rock-cut Buddha into the stone facing south, while the crown prince built a stone cave here facing north, looking towards Deokjusa Temple. It is the only temple site in Korea with this unusual north-facing structure, and although its method differs, it is interpreted as a cave temple modelled on Seokguram Grotto.

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Where it is

Region

Chungju, Chungbuk

Designation

Historic Site · 사적