Yangju Hoeamsaji Site World Heritage Promotion Gains Momentum

Yangju Hoeamsaji Site Selected for UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Priority List
Recognized for Outstanding Universal Value as Evidence of 14th-Century Buddhist Seon Culture

On the 19th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced that at the 2nd World Heritage Subcommittee meeting of the Cultural Heritage Committee held on the 13th, the "Yangju Hoeamsaji Site" was selected for the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. To apply for World Heritage registration, a domestic review process consisting of four stages?tentative list, tentative priority list, nomination candidate, and nomination target?must be completed. The tentative priority list is a stage where well-prepared heritage sites from the tentative list are selected.

Yangju Hoeamsaji Site [Photo by National Heritage Administration]

Yangju Hoeamsa Temple is said to have been founded by the Indian monk Jigong in the 15th year of King Chungsuk of Goryeo (1328). It is said that Jigong’s disciples later expanded its scale. During the early Joseon Dynasty, it was considered the largest temple in the country, flourishing greatly with the patronage of Queen Jeonghui, the consort of King Sejo, and Queen Munjeong, the mother of King Myeongjong. At one time, it is said that over 3,000 people stayed in the temple complex, which consisted of 262 rooms.

Yangju Hoeamsaji Site [Photo by National Heritage Administration]

The site consists of a central temple area where the remains of about 70 buildings have been confirmed, along with commemorative monuments for eminent monks such as stupas, stone lanterns, and stele. It includes nine designated cultural heritage assets, including four treasures such as the "Yangju Hoeamsaji Saritap (relic pagoda)." Yangju Hoeamsaji was designated as a historic site in 1964. It is evaluated as having the "Outstanding Universal Value" required for World Heritage status due to its excellent physical evidence proving the prosperity and spread of Buddhist Seon (Zen) culture that flourished in 14th-century East Asia.

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