Bulguksa Temple: The Land of Buddha 불국사

Taken in 2015 on a family trip to Bulguksa.

Bulguksa Temple, located on the slopes of Mount Toham in Gyeonju, is home to a wealth of historical sites to see. It is said to be one of the most visited places in Korea and one of the oldest temples in Korea. Because Bulguksa Temple proves to be an exquisite masterpiece of Buddhist art, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 along with the Seoguram Grotto. To read more about the grotto, visit my blog post on Seoguram Grotto.

History of Bulguksa Temple

The temple was originally a small temple that was built in 528AD by King Beopheung, the first ruler to take up Buddism as the official religion. It was called Beopryusa Temple or Hwaeom Bulguksa Temple at the time. 

Reconstruction of the Bulguksa Temple commenced in 751AD during King Gyeongdeok's reign and was completed in 774AD during King Hyegong's reign during the Silla Period. Building efforts were started by Chief Minister Kim Daeseong who wanted his parents to rest in peace in the "land of Buddha" which is the meaning of Bulguksa.

As expected, renovations and expansions took place over the lifespan of the temple from Goryeo to Joseon Dynasty periods. In 1604, major restoration and expansion of Bulguksa Temple began due to the aftermath of the Imjin Wars (Japanese Invasions).

From restoration to the early 1800s, over 40 renovations took place until Bulguksa Temple became a victim of burglary and burglary attempts. Though unfortunate, because of these events, Korea was able to obtain some valuable relics.

One burglary attempt, for example, took place in 1966. The monks of the temple were woken by the sounds of dynamites. The thieves were hoping to obtain what was hidden inside the Seokgatap Pagoda but failed to take what was inside. Major restoration was required which lead to the discovery of precious reliquaries, Buddhist relics, and the world’s oldest surviving woodblock print!

National Treasures of Korea

Inside the Bulguksa Temple, there are many national treasures of Korea. Down below are some of the National Treasures of Korea found in Bulguksa Temple (but not all).

National Treasure 20: Dabotap Pagoda

Taken in 2015 on a family trip to Bulguksa.

National Treasure 21: Seokgatap Pagoda

Image resource from Wikipedia

National Treasure 22: Chilbogyo and Yeonhwagyo Bridge

Image resource from Wikipedia
Lotus Flower and Seven Treasure Bridge

National Treasure 23: Cheongungyo and Backungyo Bridge

Taken in 2015 on a family trip to Bulguksa.
The Blue (right side of the stairway) and White (left side) Cloud Bridge

National Treasure 26: Vairocana Buddha Statue

Image resource from Wikipedia

National Treasure 27: Amitabha Buddha Statue

Image resource from Wikipedia

Our Trip to Bulguksa Temple

My husband at the Iljimun Gate (2015). 

My husband strolling with our son, Joowon (2015).

Time to taste fresh mountain water (2015).

Daeungjeon Hall

Daeungjeon Hall - Picture was taken by my father (January 2021).

Joowon sitting in his stroller inside Bulguksa Temple (2015).
You can see Seokgatap Pagoda in the distance.

You may be wondering what these stacked rocks are for. I asked my dad at the time when we were visiting because I had no idea why these rocks were here. He explained to me that people came to this part of the temple and stacked rocks to make a wish. 

Have you stacked rocks and made a wish before? If you have, where did you do it?

 

XO, 

혜원쌤

Laura

Works Cited

Suh, Cheong-Soo, Editor. An Encyclopaedia of Korean Culture. Hansebon, 2004.

Wikipedia