Gyeonggi-do, Wooden Buddha Materials Unearthed at 'Seungyeong Temple' in Namhansanseong

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Wooden structural members (wooden materials that form the framework of a structure) have been confirmed for the first time at the old site of Gukcheongsa (國淸寺), the first Seungyeong temple built in Namhansanseong, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

Seungyeong temples were temples established by the monk soldiers stationed in the fortress, and in addition to typical temple spaces such as the main hall and monk quarters, they also included military spaces such as armories and powder magazines.

Gyeonggi Province regards the excavated wooden members as highly valuable for understanding the pavilion structures of the Seungyeong temples in Namhansanseong, including Gukcheongsa.

The Gyeonggi Namhansanseong World Heritage Center and the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation’s Gyeonggi Cultural Heritage Research Institute announced on the 20th that since September last year, they have conducted a detailed archaeological excavation at the old site of Gukcheongsa in Sanseong-ri, Namhansanseong-myeon, Gwangju City, and unearthed multiple wooden members (the exact excavation scale will be determined through further detailed investigation).

This investigation was carried out with permission from the Cultural Heritage Administration to promote the utilization of the old Gukcheongsa site, including the establishment of a comprehensive maintenance plan for the Gukcheongsa site.

Built in the 2nd year of King Injo’s reign of the Joseon Dynasty (1624), Namhansanseong had ten Seungyeong temples constructed for the fortress’s construction, management, and defense.

Among the ten, Gukcheongsa and Haneungsa were the first temples built in 1624. However, in 1905, when Japan blew up all temples within Namhansanseong that were being used as armories by the righteous army, Gukcheongsa was also abandoned.

Although a temple with the same name, Gukcheongsa, was built within Namhansanseong in 1968, it has no historical connection to the Joseon-era Gukcheongsa.

The province and the Gyeonggi Cultural Heritage Research Institute focused on verifying the pavilion called Wolyeongnu (月暎樓) of the old Gukcheongsa.

The 'Jungjeong Namhanji (重訂南漢志)', a local gazetteer of Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province compiled in 1847, states that "Gukcheongsa is located inside the west gate of Namhansanseong and had a pavilion and a pond."

Also, the 'Gyeilheon Ilgi (戒逸軒日記)' by Lee Myeong-ryong (1708?1789), a figure from the Sukjong to Jeongjo periods, names the pavilion of Gukcheongsa as Wolyeongnu.

Based on this, the excavation confirmed multiple wooden members presumed to have been used in Wolyeongnu beneath the retaining wall of the pavilion site at Gukcheongsa.

These are architectural members such as jangyeo (長舌, a beam supporting the main beam from below), inbang (引枋, a member spanning between columns or above/below doors or windows), and hwaban (花盤, a member inserted to support the jangyeo on top of the inbang).

The hwaban included lotus flower carvings and gwimyeon (demon face) carvings. This is the first time that architectural members from the Joseon Dynasty have been excavated in Namhansanseong.

The province plans to establish a maintenance project plan, including ways to utilize the excavated cultural assets, after the excavation at the Gukcheongsa site concludes next month.

Lee Eun-seon, director of the Gyeonggi Namhansanseong World Heritage Center, said, "The wooden members excavated this time have historical value as they are architectural members of 'Wolyeongnu' confirmed in old records. With future preservation treatment and additional research, they will become precious materials that can greatly help in understanding the pavilion structures built in the Seungyeong temples of Namhansanseong."

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