Seokguram
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Template:Koreanname image The Seokguram Grotto is an hermitage of the Bulguksa temple and lies east of the temple on Mt. Tohamsan, in Gyeongju, South Korea. In 1962, it was designated the 24th national treasure of Korea. In 1995, Seokguram was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list together with Bulguksa.
It is said to have been built by Gim Daeseong and orignially called Seokbulsa (석불사, "Stone Buddha Temple). Construction began in 751, the 10th year of the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla, the cultural peak of Unified Silla, and was completed by the Silla court in 774, shortly after Gim's death.
Repair and improvements were undertaken in 1703 and 1758, during the Joseon dynasty. The Japanese Government-General of Chosen conducted restoration works three times, but it faced humidity and other problems. After World War II, in the 1960s, President Park Chung Hee pursued a major restoration project to correct the work done during the Japanese occupation. The interior of the grotto can now only be viewed through a glass wall, installed to protect it from the large number of tourists it attracts.
It is now one of the best known cultural destinations in South Korea, and viewing of the sunrise over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) is especially popular.
It is a granite sanctuary with a Buddha statue seated in the main chamber. The main hall of Seokguram houses a Bojon statue Bodhisattva and his disciples. The grotto was built around these statues in order to protect them from weathering. The ceiling of the Seokguram grotto is decorated with half moons, the top is decorated with a lotus flower.
Because of the long periods of abandonment and numerous renovations, many details are disputed amongst scholars, such as the exact layout of the original grotto, the buildings in Bulguksa or the shape of the watercourse, which no longer exists, in front of the temple.
See also
- List of Buddhist topics
- Korean Buddhist temples
- Tourism in Gyeongju
- List of Korea-related topicsde:Seokguram
ko:석굴암 nl:Seokguramgrot en de Bulguksatempel ja:石窟庵 sv:Sekkuram