Borisa Temple Rock-carved Stone Buddha

This is a rock-carved Buddha cut into a 2m-high rock face facing east in Baeban-dong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. A space 1.5m high was shallowly hollowed out of the rock face, within which a small Buddha about 0.9m tall was carved in relief. The seated Buddha, its cheeks filled with a compassionate smile, is carved throughout in a rather rough technique; in particular, the carving becomes shallower towards the bottom, almost like drawn lines, giving it a very distinctive style. It is thought to have been made later than the seated stone Buddha of Borisa Temple, and is presumed to date from the late Unified Silla period. The statue itself is only 1.1m tall, but because the ground beneath its feet falls away steeply, it gives the overall impression of floating in the sky. In the distance, Nangsan Mountain, where Queen Seondeok lies buried, stretches long from north to south, and Sacheonwangsa Temple, Mangdeoksa Temple and Hwangnyongsa Temple all come into view at once.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산