Artefacts held at Gyeongjugirimsa Temple

Artefacts handed down at Girimsa Temple in Gyeongju, comprising eight wooden steles, one bronze gong, and one stone ridge-end ornament. The wooden steles record the repair history of the temple during the 18th–19th centuries; such wooden steles are rarer than stone or iron ones, which gives them high value. The geumgu, also called geumgo or banja, is a type of percussion instrument used in temples to summon worshippers or to announce urgent matters. The Girimsa geumgu is 70 cm in diameter and 11.5 cm thick, made of bronze, and bears an inscription showing that it was made in 1722, the second year of King Gyeongjong of Joseon. A chimi is a large decorative roof-tile fitted to each end of a building's ridge, usually made of clay. The stone chimi of Girimsa is badly damaged overall, with only 95 cm of its total length and 70 cm of its width surviving. Judging by its carving technique, it is presumed to date from the Unified Silla period, and it is unique as the only example made of stone rather than clay. Girimsa is a temple in Yangbuk-myeon, Wolseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, founded in the 12th year of Queen Seondeok (643) by the Indian monk Gwangyu, who originally called it Imjeongsa Temple; it was later renamed Girimsa after Wonhyo stayed there. Girimsa means the Jetavana Monastery, built in India during the Buddha's lifetime. The temple is known for its five wells, one of which, called Janggunsu ("General's Water"), is said to fill anyone who drinks it with surging strength. However, it is said that during the Joseon dynasty, after someone who had drunk this water was discovered plotting treason, the state had the well filled in.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료