National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute, Special Exhibition "Nangsan, the Road to Doricheon"

Former Gold Buddha Statue of the Sarira Reliquary from the Three-Story Stone Pagoda at Hwangboksa Temple

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute, together with the National Gyeongju Museum and the Seongnim Cultural Heritage Research Institute Foundation, will jointly hold a special exhibition titled "Nangsan, the Road to Doricheon" at the special exhibition hall of the National Gyeongju Museum until September 12.

The special exhibition was prepared to widely promote Nangsan in Gyeongju, which was especially cherished by the Silla people, along with the various cultural heritages distributed there, and to comprehensively highlight their significance.

First, ▲‘Invitation to Nangsan’ (Prologue) introduces the location of Nangsan within the Silla royal capital and the cultural heritages located in Nangsan. ▲Part I ‘The World Where Gods Played’ explains the background of the creation of various guardian deity statues at temples in Nangsan, such as Sacheonwangsa and the former Hwangboksa.

▲Part II ‘The World Where Kings Rest’ introduces how the area around Nangsan became the eternal resting place for Silla kings with the establishment of the tombs of King Jinpyeong and Queen Seondeok, and how temples praying for the king’s repose were built in the process. The relics enshrined in the sarira (Buddhist relics) found in the three-story stone pagoda of the former Hwangboksa in 1942 well illustrate this aspect. For the first time in 80 years since their discovery, the sarira relics, including two gold Buddha statues designated as national treasures, will be exhibited together.

▲Part III ‘A Space of Hope and Embrace’ introduces how Nangsan’s character expanded over time from a place for the peace of the state and royal family to a space where individuals prayed for their wishes. Cultural heritages excavated from the Neungji Pagoda, preserved at the National Gyeongju Museum and Dankook University Seokjuseon Memorial Museum, are showcased together. The wall tiles (?塼) and the decorative finial parts that suggest the original form of the Neungji Pagoda are also revealed to the public for the first time.

▲‘Closing the Exhibition’ (Epilogue) introduces the case of the former Hwangboksa, whose temple grounds have been mostly excavated but whose name remains unresolved, conveying the message that continuous interest in Nangsan’s cultural heritage is necessary.

The Cultural Heritage Administration’s National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute stated, “We hope this exhibition will be an opportunity for the cultural heritage of Nangsan, which has long been veiled, and the stories within its history to come closer to the public.”

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