Myeongbujeon Hall of Heungcheonsa Temple

Heungcheonsa Temple, in Donam-dong, Seoul, was built after Queen Sindeok of the Kang clan died in 1395, the fourth year of King Taejo of Joseon, when her tomb was designated Jeongneung Royal Tomb. At the time the temple enshrined a statue of Avalokiteshvara (Gwanseeum Bosal) and was a large complex of some 170 kan, where prayers were offered for the peace of the state and its people. The Myeongbujeon Hall of Heungcheonsa Temple is a hall enshrining Kshitigarbha (Jijang Bosal), the bodhisattva who saves beings suffering in hell, and was built in 1855, the sixth year of King Cheoljong, by the monk Sun-gi. Worship of Kshitigarbha, together with worship of Amitabha Buddha, was a folk faith widely popular in the Joseon period, and Myeongbujeon halls were built at temples throughout the dynasty. The hall measures three kan across the front and two kan along the side, and has a gable roof whose sides form the shape of the character 人 (person). Inside is enshrined a statue of Kshitigarbha attended by the Ten Kings of the underworld, and on the wall behind it hangs a Buddhist painting depicting Kshitigarbha. Retaining the tradition of old timber-frame construction while being simply and modestly finished, the Myeongbujeon Hall of Heungcheonsa Temple shows the typical appearance of late Joseon temple architecture.

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Where it is

Region

Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산