Still Standing: The Pagoda of Bunhwangsa

Name: Stone Pagoda of Bunhwangsa

Architect/Designer: Unknown

Date/Year: 634 C.E

Materials: Stone Brick

Location: Bunhwangsa, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do

In the famed ancient city of Gyeongju lies the important Silla-era masterpieces such as Seokguram and Cheomseongdae. While it is important to note these great examples of architecture, it is also important to appreciate the lesser-known structures that hide much more history than they may appear. The pagoda of Bunhwangsa in Gyeongju is no exception, with a long history that spans 1400 years back to the 7th century C.E. 

The temple was built less than 100 years after the adoption of Buddhism by Silla, quite recently for the standards of ancient Korea. Despite being built for a religion adopted quite recently for the time, the temple grounds were expansive, with many different structures scattered throughout. However, as Silla fell and invading armies came and went through the Korean peninsula, the glory of the temple began to wane. The temple was destroyed 3 times by foreign forces alone. In 1238, invading Mongolian forces destroyed the temple before Japanese forces destroyed the temple twice during the Imjin wars. Today, the oldest temple building that is not the stone brick pagoda is Bogwangjeon, which was built in the year 1609 during the Joseon era.

Despite the lack of authentic buildings from the Silla era, the Bunhwangsa stone pagoda remains remarkably intact. The pagoda was built in Tang dynasty style borrowed from the Chinese; however, the pagoda distinguishes itself from a purely Chinese style by being built out of andesite instead of the normal brick pagodas that made up many Chinese pagodas of the era. The pagoda used to be 9 storeys in height, but, as time passed, periods of destruction and age limited the pagoda to the 3 storeys that we see today. Despite this wear and tear, the pagoda was able to be restored, starting in 1915. Under Japanese care, multiple artefacts of nobility were discovered, including coins and scissors. Over the years, restoration projects continued, and now the site is protected by the South Korean Government.

References:

• https://koreantempleguide.com/bunhwangsa-temple-%EB%B6%84%ED%99%A9%EC%82%AC-gyeongju/

Korean Temple Guide

• https://english.khs.go.kr/cop/bbs/selectBoardArticle.do;jsessionid=FGGvCZX9tFrO61CtUkCJYqXu2ijslLFhV0cO50iD29CBdfQivwRy51aMMMs2aB1R.cha-was02_servlet_engine4?nttId=32483&bbsId=BBSMSTR_1200&pageUnit=10&searchCnd=&searchWrd=&ctgryLrcls=&ctgryMdcls=&ctgrySmcls=&ntcStartDt=&ntcEndDt=&searchUseYn=&mn=EN_01_01

Korean Heritage Service