Uijeongbuhoeryongsa Temple Stone

This is a stone water trough (seokjo) still in use today at Hoeryongsa Temple in Uijeongbu. A seokjo is a large stone vessel made by shaping the exterior of a stone into a rectangular block and hollowing out the interior in a gentle curve to hold water. Since it served to store water, it was an essential item for daily life at temples where monks resided. Such troughs were made at various temples from the Three Kingdoms period through the Joseon dynasty; a rectangular stone trough also survives at the Hoeamsa temple site in Yangju. The Hoeryongsa Temple stone trough in Uijeongbu was made from a single block of granite shaped into a rectangular form, with the interior hollowed out flat. A round hole at one side of the floor is presumed to have been a drainage hole used to empty the water. The spout at the front of the trough, through which water flowed out, was made by cutting a deep U-shaped groove so that water could flow out easily; it is an uncommon example of a trough with a spout set into its outer surface. Hoeryongsa Temple is said to have been founded by the monk Muhak and is a temple of the early Joseon period; within its grounds stands a five-story stone pagoda presumed to date from the 15th century. The stone trough, too, is presumed to have been made in the early Joseon period. Having been used over a long span of time, parts of its surface have become worn. It is a large-scale trough with a well-finished surface; though unadorned, its fitted spout makes it a representative work of the early Joseon period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료