Gongju Magoksa Five-Story Stone Pagoda Elevated to National Treasure Status After 40 Years

A Unique Structure with Another Tower Built on Top
After Raising a 5-Story Body, a Gilt-Bronze Pagoda is Placed
First Confirmation of 'Haemok-Type Ansang' in Korea

The five-story stone pagoda of Magoksa Temple in Gongju was elevated to a national treasure about 40 years after being designated as a treasure in 1984. On the 9th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced that it will systematically preserve and manage the pagoda in cooperation with Gongju City and Magoksa Temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

Gongju Magoksa Five-Story Stone Pagoda

The stone pagoda is estimated to have been constructed around the 14th century during the late Goryeo period. It is widely known for its unique form of stacking another pagoda on top of the pagoda. In the temple courtyard, a two-tiered pedestal was built, on top of which a five-story body was erected, and then a 1.8-meter-long gilt-bronze pagoda called 'Pungmadong (風磨銅)' was placed on top.

The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "The gilt-bronze pagoda is a form that reproduces the pagoda style popular in the Yuan Dynasty of China and other regions with sophisticated manufacturing techniques," adding, "It is the only one among Korean stone pagodas and is regarded as a heritage that shows the international exchange patterns of Buddhist culture at the time."

The form and carving techniques of the Magoksa five-story stone pagoda are also noteworthy. The pedestal of the stone pagoda shows the Baekje-style stone pagoda that was prevalent during the Goryeo period. On the base stone placed at the very bottom to support the weight, curved lines shaped like crab eyes are engraved.

Gilt-bronze Pagoda Finial of the Five-story Stone Pagoda at Magoksa Temple, Gongju

The Cultural Heritage Administration said, "This form is called 'Haemok-type Ansang (蟹目形 眼象)'," and added, "It is the first case discovered among existing stone pagodas in Korea, so it has great academic and artistic value."

Magoksa Temple, where this stone pagoda is located, is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites 'Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea' and the head temple of the 6th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is said to have been founded by the monk Jajang Yulsa (590?658) or the national preceptor Chejing (804?880), but there are no artifacts that can confirm this.

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