Standing Stone Buddha and Stone Pagoda in Wonji-dong

To the right of the entrance to the expressway underpass leading to the Cheonggyesan Mountain hiking trail stands Mireukdang, a shrine housing a Maitreya Buddha, together with a small three-storey stone pagoda. The Maitreya Buddha is a standing figure about 2 m tall, in the folk style of the late Goryeo to early Joseon period. It is regarded as the guardian deity of Wonteo Village, and villagers are said to hold a memorial rite for it once a year. Because it was believed that sincere devotion to this Maitreya Buddha would reveal fortune and misfortune, Japanese people once attempted to take the statue out of the country to Japan, but failed. As people continued to flock to the statue because of its mysterious spiritual power, the Japanese chipped away its navel, and it is said that from then on the Buddha lost its miraculous powers.

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Where it is

Region

Seocho-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산