Grand Artifacts Discovered in Large Numbers at Pohang Beopgwangsa Site

Brick foundation at Geumdangji, green-glazed floor, Buddha statue without head found
Likely decorated like the "Glass-like Land" described as Gukrakjeongto

Panoramic View of the Main Hall Site at Beopgwangsa Temple in Pohang

At the site of the Silla temple 'Pohang Beopgwangsa Site (Historic Site)', the main hall foundation (the temple's main hall) revealed a rectangular brick platform, a floor paved with green-glazed bricks, and a Buddha statue without a head.

The Cultural Heritage Administration and the Gyeongbuk Cultural Foundation's Cultural Heritage Research Institute announced on the 27th that these findings were made during additional excavation investigations conducted from March last year to this month.

Beopgwangsa is said to have been founded by Monk Wonhyo under the order of King Jinpyeong of Silla (579?632). Its scale was as vast as Bulguksa Temple. Although the entire temple buildings were destroyed during the Imjin War, a large number of relics befitting a royal temple were unearthed, making it an important site for the study of Silla temples.

The recently discovered platform and green-glazed brick floor are part of the temple's adornment. It is highly likely that they were used to decorate the site to resemble the Pure Land (Geukrakjeongto, 極樂淨土), described in scriptures as a land like glass. The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "Similar cases have been confirmed at royal palaces and central temple sites built during the Unified Silla period, such as Hwangnyongsa Site and Sacheonwangsa Site in Gyeongju, and Bulguksa."

Buddha Statue at the Main Hall Site of Beopgwangsa Temple in Pohang

The Buddha statue was excavated in two pieces. Although the head is missing, its height reaches 180 cm. Including the pedestal, it is estimated to be over 460 cm tall. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "It is smaller than the 505 cm tall Seokguram Buddha statue, but compared to other Buddha statues in the Gyeongju area, it is considered very large."

The Cultural Heritage Administration also found about 160 clay nava (conch-shaped Buddha hair ornaments) that were attached to the Buddha's head, gilt-bronze Buddha statues, incense burners, and ritual vessels at the main hall site. Based on these findings, they plan to hold an academic conference next year and accelerate the historic site maintenance and restoration project.

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