The stone brick pagoda of Bunhwangsa temple, Gyeongju () is a Korean Buddhist pagoda built in the kingdom of Silla, Three Kingdoms of Korea, designated as the 30th National Treasure of South Korea in 1962. Located in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the kingdom for a millennium, it is said that the pagoda was constructed with its temple of Bunhwangsa in 634 AD by Queen Seondeok of Silla. It is one of the oldest remaining Buddhist pagoda during the Silla period. The stone brick pagoda refers to a type of the pagoda made with natural stones such as andesite by carving itself, instead of clay brick. History Both Korean history books, Samguk Sagi and Samguk yusa write the temple of Bunhwangsa was constructed in the third reign of Queen Seondeok in 634. The literal meaning of Bunhwang is the elegant fragrance of the emperor, symbolizing the glorious ruling of the queen. The temple was considered one of the 7 major temples built around the capital before the unification of the three kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, spreading the teaching of Buddha notably by the Great monk Wonhyo and Jajang.
According to a piece of ancient record, the pagoda originally consisted of nine stories, though only three stories remain by now. Most of the buildings and the pagoda itself went through damages amid the Mongol invasions of Korea(1231-1271) and the Imjin War.(1592-1597)
Architecture The current pagoda was built with small brick-shaped stones carved from black andesite with its height of 9.3 m and its largest width of 13 m. The remaining three-story pagoda shows a huge first-story main body with the remarkable reduction of the size from the second layer. Each face of the first story has a statue of the Benevolent King, the Buddhist guardian deity at the corners. The corners at the top story are partly raised with a granite ornament in the shape of a lotus flower.
Relics The pagoda was repaired by the Japanese in 1915, when many artifacts such as reliquaries and beads were discovered. Notably, a piece of green glass jar from a sarira is dated from the first construction of the pagoda. Other offerings found include pieces of crystal and jade, gold and silver needles and clamshells. Clamshells are said to have been brought from Okinawa Islands, which shows the initial exchange between Korean peninsula and southern archipelago.
See also National treasures of Korea Korean Buddhism Gyeongju Historic Areas Bunhwangsa Bulguksa Temple
References
External link Silla's Most Ambitious Tower - The Stone Brick Pagoda at Bunhwangsa Temple, Gyeongju Stone Lion in Bunhwangsa Temple Restored