Hakjeong-ri Stone Buddha

This is a standing stone Buddha located in Seongmunan Village, Hakjeong-ri, Samgye-myeon. It is presumed to be a stone Buddha of the Goryeo period, giving an impression of heaviness rather than refinement. When the statue first came to notice, its lower body was buried in the middle of a field in Seongmunan Village, with the pedestal and halo lying apart from it. An excavation survey in 2002 established that the standing statue measures 245cm in height, 98.8cm in width and 35.4cm in thickness. From 2003, for its protection, it was moved to the Dharma hall of the nearby Seongmunsa Temple for temporary safekeeping, but from 2014 petitions were raised calling for its return to its original location; a relocation plan was accordingly drawn up in 2016, and in 2017 an excavation survey was conducted on the site presumed to be its original location. Then, following the results of a 2018 trial excavation, in June 2019 the statue was relocated and installed at the spot where its original pedestal had stood. In 2022 a protective shelter was built as part of a provincial-designated cultural heritage repair and maintenance project. The head bears a large usnisha. The ears hang down to the plump cheeks, and the chin is thick. The narrow eyes are slightly upturned at the corners, and the mouth, though relatively small, bears a smile. The left hand crosses the centre of the abdomen and fades away at the wrist of the right hand. Overall the figure has a heavy, full appearance, a feature also seen in the thick neck and taut upper body. Though the body is full, it conveys heaviness rather than refinement, reflecting the stylistic character of its period. The robe covers both shoulders and forms a gentle U-shape at the chest, and the drapery folds are so faint that they appear formalised.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Imsil, Jeonbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산