Seated Rock-carved Avalokitesvara of Bomunsa Temple, Ganghwa

This rock-carved seated stone Buddha, 9.2 m tall and 3.3 m wide, was carved in 1928 into the cliff face of a spot known as Nunsseopbawi ('Eyebrow Rock'), halfway up Nakgasan Mountain, by Yi Hwa-eung, abbot of Pyohunsa Temple on Geumgangsan Mountain, and Bae Seon-ju, abbot of Bomunsa Temple. The figure wears a large jewelled crown, and its face is square. The nose is broad and prominent relative to the face, the ears are plainly rendered, and the neck is very short. The robe wraps around angular shoulders, and a large 卍 (swastika) motif is carved on the chest. The figure holds a vase of pure water and sits upon a lotus-patterned pedestal, with a halo behind the body representing the light radiating from the Buddha. This image is valued less for its heritage significance than as a sacred site: it is said that praying before this stone Buddha can grant a woman a child, and the women who come here to pray never cease.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Ganghwa, Incheon

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산