Standing Gimcheon Maitreya Hermitage Stone Maitreya Buddha

Maitreya Hermitage stands at the top of Singeori Pass, on the boundary with Seongju County. The discovery in 1999 of a stele for a Tang Chinese general named Si, who had fought in the latter half of the seventh century as part of the allied Silla–Tang forces, revealed that the hermitage was in fact an old temple, originally built as a retreat and thatched hut (jeongsa-chodang) to commemorate his achievements. This stone Buddha has a large, pillar-like body topped with a large round crown, and an overall plump, full-bodied form. It reflects the style of early Goryeo Buddhist sculpture, in which a strong ambition to create the image is combined with an unsteady, technically unrefined sense of form. Although a Goryeo-period work, the statue directly carries over Silla style, representing a transitional form; although the arms and lower body have been repaired, the crown and lotus pedestal retain their original shape, making it valuable evidence for understanding the stone Buddha style of the late Silla–early Goryeo period. According to legend, a thief once stole an ox in Gimcheon and was crossing this pass towards Seongju when he found himself circling the Maitreya Buddha all through the night; enraged, he struck the Buddha's left arm with an axe, whereupon the arm fell off and the thief dropped dead on the spot.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료