Uiseongdaegoksa Temple Multi-story Stone Pagoda

This multi-storey stone pagoda stands in front of Daeungjeon Hall at Daegoksa Temple; its body is made of slate, making it a cheongseoktap, or 'blue-stone pagoda'. Daegoksa Temple is said to have been founded in 1368, the 17th year of King Gongmin of Goryeo, by the Seon masters Jigong and Naong; it was first named Daeguksa, then later renamed Daegoksa. This pagoda stands 173 cm in total height. Its finial has been lost, but the granite base and the slate body remain, with only slight damage. The base slab, which touches the ground and forms the foundation of the pagoda, is a square stone, and above it are placed in sequence the lower stone, middle stone, lotus pedestal and upper stone that together make up the base section. Of the body section, 12 storeys now remain, but in each storey only the roof stone survives, the body stone of each storey having been lost. The roof stones diminish in size at a constant rate as they rise, but between the 6th and 7th storeys the rate of reduction changes abruptly, suggesting that the roof stone of one storey between them is missing and that the pagoda originally had 13 storeys. The multi-storey stone pagoda at Daegoksa Temple is thought to have been built a little later than the multi-storey stone pagoda at Wondangam Hermitage, Haeinsa Temple (Treasure No. 518), in the early Goryeo period, and is estimated to date from no later than the 11th century. Although the body stones of each storey do not survive and the roof stones have suffered some damage, the roof stones of all 12 surviving storeys remain intact, making this a fine example of the style of blue-stone pagodas of the early Goryeo period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Uiseong, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료