Five-story Stone Pagoda of Yeongchwisa Temple

This pagoda is a five-story stone pagoda standing in the courtyard below the stairs of Yeongchwisa Temple's Daeungjeon Hall. It originally stood in front of the monks' quarters before being moved to its present location. Several stone slabs were piled high to form a base, on top of which a two-tiered platform and a five-story body were erected; the lower part of the platform was added later, when the pagoda was re-erected, and is unrelated to the original structure. The platform has two tiers: the lower tier is relatively wide and tall, built by joining several long rectangular stones, though it is partly damaged, with rough stones wedged in between for support. The upper tier is somewhat lower than the lower one, and its width looks rather narrow to support the five-story body above it. On the two-tiered platform, the five stories of the body and their roof stones are stacked in sequence; the roof stone of the topmost story and the finial are later additions made to complete the pagoda. The first-story body is taller than those above it, with corner pillars faintly carved in relief along its edges, and one niche is cut into one side of the body. The roof stones are thick, with shallow stepped eave supports carved on their undersides; the sloping roof surfaces are gentle, and the corners curve slightly upward, giving a sense of lightness despite the thickness of the stones. From the second story upward, the bodies are low and taper gently, lending the whole pagoda a sense of stability. The finial itself has been entirely lost, and a later lotus-bud-shaped stone now stands in its place. Judging from its tall, wide platform, the way its body stories are stacked, and the simplified rendering of its stepped supports, the pagoda is presumed to have been built around the late Goryeo to early Joseon period. Although it was built relatively late and is small in scale, it is one of the few stone pagodas found in the Seoul area, and its components have survived in relatively good condition.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료