Achasan Mountain 3cheung Stone Pagoda, Guri

The Achasan Mountain 3cheung Stone Pagoda, Guri, collapsed in 1952 and was restored to its present form in 1996. It stands on a broad rock surface at an altitude of 180 m with a view over the Hangang River, and since no temple-related remains have been found nearby, it is thought to have been erected not as part of a temple but for bibo — the practice of supplementing or correcting the geomantic energy of the surrounding mountains and rivers. On the rock a platform in sumidan style (resembling the base of Mount Sumeru) was built: the lower base stone is close to a natural stone, and the middle stone is made up of several pieces. The upper base stone consists of two pieces, its lower eave carved large and slanted, and its top bears two tiers of moulding to support the body stones. Each of the three storeys of the body was formed from a single stone combining the body stone and the roof stone (okgaeseok, the stone laid like a roof over a stone pagoda or lantern). The first-storey body stone has corner pilasters carved at its edges and was dressed with a lower face wider than its upper face, giving it a diamond-like form — an expression borrowed from the ansollim technique of wooden architecture, in which columns lean slightly inward. The second- and third-storey body stones are smaller than the first but similar in size to each other. The underside of each roof stone carries two tiers of angular support mouldings, reflecting the characteristics of Baekje-style stone pagodas; a drip groove is cut into it, and a single tier of moulding is set where it meets the body stone. The sloping roof surface is thick and flattens towards the centre, with the hip ridges rising high along the eaves at each corner and the corners themselves curving up gently. The finial has been lost and no parts of it survive. The form, style and joinery of the platform and body reflect the Baekje-style stone pagoda tradition that flourished briefly in the early Goryeo period, centred on the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions. In particular, the simplified joinery of the platform and the dressing technique of the roof-stone supports show a strong affinity with Baekje-style stone pagodas.

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Where it is

Region

Guri, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산