Songgwangsa Temple One-Pillar Gate

Songgwangsa Temple, at the foot of Jongnamsan Mountain, is a temple of long history said to have been founded in 867 by the National Preceptor Bojo, Chejing. The Iljumun (One-Pillar Gate), which stands at the entrance to Songgwangsa and symbolically marks the boundary between the secular world and the realm of the Buddha, was built during the Joseon dynasty. It was originally erected about 3 km from its present location; as the temple's precinct shrank, the gate was moved near Jogyegyo Bridge in 1814, the fourteenth year of King Sunjo, and then relocated to its present site in 1944. The gate is formed of two round pillars set side by side, topped with a simple gabled (matbae) roof whose side profile takes the shape of the Chinese character 人 (person). The bracket sets that support and decorate the eaves are of the dapo style, placed both above the pillars and between them. The brackets are carved with dragon heads, among other motifs, showing the ornate decorative techniques characteristic of the mid- and late Joseon period. Auxiliary posts decorated with lotus motifs are set in front of and behind the main pillars to give the structure stability, and a signboard reading 'Jongnamsan Songgwangsa' hangs at the centre of the front face. The Songgwangsa Iljumun achieves an overall sense of balance, giving an impression of neat and mature proportion, and is representative of the One-Pillar Gates of the mid-Joseon period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Wanju, Jeonbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산