Jeongamsa Sumano Pagoda, Built as a Gift for the Dragon King, Elevated to National Treasure Status

The Main Hall of Bonghwangsa Temple in Andong, Built in the Late 17th Century, Designated as Treasure

The ‘Jeongseon Jeongamsa Sumano Pagoda (旌善 淨巖寺 水瑪瑙塔)’, built to enshrine the true relics (Jinsinsari), has been elevated to the status of a National Treasure. On the 25th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced that the ‘Jeongseon Jeongamsa Sumano Pagoda’, previously Treasure No. 410, has been designated as National Treasure No. 332, and the ‘Andong Bonghwangsa Daeungjeon Hall (安東 鳳凰寺 大雄殿)’, a tangible cultural property of Gyeongbuk Province, has been registered as Treasure No. 2068.

Jeongamsa Temple in Jeongseon, where the Sumano Pagoda stands, is said to have been founded in 643 AD (the 12th year of Queen Seondeok) by the monk Jajang Yulsa, who returned from the Wudang Mountains in Tang China after receiving the true relics from Bodhisattva Manjusri. The true relics refer to the sarira of Buddha Shakyamuni. Temples enshrining these relics typically do not place Buddha statues in their main halls. Instead, they establish a special hall called Jeokmyeolbogung to enshrine the true relics. Jeongamsa also has a Jeokmyeolbogung located on the path leading up to the Sumano Pagoda. Along with those at Tongdosa in Yangsan, Jungdae at Odaesan in Pyeongchang, Beopheungsa in Yeongwol, and Bongjeongam in Inje, it is known as one of the five major Jeokmyeolbogung halls in Korea.

The Sumano Pagoda can be reached after climbing a long uphill path behind the Jeokmyeolbogung. Typically, pagodas are placed in front of the main hall (Geumdang) where the principal Buddha image is enshrined. However, the Sumano Pagoda was constructed separately at a high place overlooking the mountain. An official explained, “This seems to be influenced by the ‘Sancheon Bibo (山川裨補)’ philosophy, which aims to revitalize the declining energy of mountains and rivers, as well as the faith in relics.”

The character ‘Mano’ in the name refers to agate (瑪瑙), one of the seven precious gems along with gold and silver. According to legend, when Jajang Yulsa returned with the true relics, the Dragon King of the West Sea was moved by his spiritual power and gifted him agate. Based on this, the pagoda was built, and since the stones were brought along the waterway, the prefix ‘Su (水)’ meaning water was added to the name.

The Sumano Pagoda is a stone pagoda imitating a brick pagoda (Mojun Pagoda). Like the pagodas at Bunhwangsa Temple in Gyeongju and in Ipam-myeon, Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, the stones were carved into brick shapes and stacked. The base (Gidan) is made of granite, and two layers of supports were placed to hold the pagoda body. The pagoda body (Tapsin) was built using dolomite quarried from limestone layers. The stones, with a grayish-green hue, were carved into lengths of 30?40 cm and thicknesses of 5?7 cm. The surface is finely finished, making it look like bricks. An official stated, “It shows excellent sculptural stability, three-dimensionality, and balance, indicating it was constructed no later than the Goryeo period.”

On the south side of the first-story body stone, a niche (Gamsil) was created to house a Buddha statue. In front of it, a single stone was erected to form a door frame, with an iron door ring attached in the center. The number of support layers under the roof stone is seven on the first floor, decreasing by one layer per floor until the seventh floor has one layer. The upper surface of the roof stone has nine layers on the first floor, decreasing by one layer per floor until the seventh floor has three layers. At the top, a bronze ornament was placed as a finial.

In 1972, a pagoda inscription stone was discovered at this pagoda, detailing the reason for its construction and repair records. This allows for detailed knowledge of its repair history and chronology. Along with the three-story stone pagoda of Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju and the Dabotap Pagoda, it is one of the rare cultural properties whose name has been passed down to the present. It is also the only true relic enshrining pagoda in Korea constructed as a Mojun stone pagoda, making it highly valuable historically, artistically, and academically.

The ‘Andong Bonghwangsa Daeungjeon Hall’, designated as a treasure, is estimated to have been built in the late 17th century. Its most distinctive feature is the hipped-and-gabled roof (paljakjibung) over five bays on the front. Considering that three-bay gable roofs were popular for Buddhist halls in the late Joseon period, this represents an unusual scale and style. The front also features bulging columns (baehleulim pillars), which were rare in the late Joseon period.

While the exterior dancheong (traditional multicolored paintwork) was recently repainted, the interior dancheong remains intact from the time of reconstruction. Particularly notable are the square coffered ceilings (umulbanja) with intricately painted lotus and gold leaf lotus-and-vine patterns (Yeonhwadangcho-mun), and the lotus-holding phoenixes carved on the front slanted coffered ceilings (bitbanja), which are considered unique expressions related to the temple’s origin.

The building’s bracket system (gongpo), which supports the roof load, and other details bear traces of repairs from the late 19th century. The brackets on the front, sides, and back differ from each other. An official explained, “This reflects the state of Buddhism in the Andong region during the difficult late Joseon period.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.