Songgwangsa Temple Samcheonggyo Bridge and Uhwagak Pavilion

This is the bridge, Samcheonggyo, that forms the passage into the Daeungjeon Hall of Songgwangsa Temple, together with the building, Uhwagak, erected above it. Samcheonggyo is also known as Neungheogyo. Nineteen square stones were used to form an arch, with dressed stones piled up on either side to bear its weight. At the centre of the arch projects a dragon-head stone holding a magic jewel in its mouth. The bridge was built in 1707, the thirty-third year of King Sukjong of Joseon, and was repaired some sixty years later, in 1774, the fiftieth year of King Yeongjo. Uhwagak, built on top of Samcheonggyo, was constructed to help people cross the bridge. Its entrance side bears a hipped-and-gabled roof whose roofline, seen from the side, resembles the Chinese character for eight (八), while the far side bears a gable roof whose roofline, seen from the side, resembles the character for person (人). The reason the two ends have differently shaped roofs is thought to be that the roof on the far side came close against the neighbouring building, leaving too little space. Although not grand in scale, these two structures serve a double purpose, functioning both as a bridge and as the passage leading into the Daeungjeon Hall.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Suncheon, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산