Gyeongju, the capital of the Silla Dynasty for a thousand years, is one of the most beloved places for school trips. Of other famous places in Gyeongju, you can say that most Koreans at least once visited Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto. Both places are now known as global cultural heritages since their registration as the world’s cultural heritages by UNESCO. Bulguksa Temple is Korea’s most representative temple, with a history of 1,500 years and an ancient, beautiful design by the Silla Dynasty. Bulguksa Temple has the most “National Treasures” and “Treasures” among temples in Korea; thus, it is highly interesting to witness various invaluable cultural assets.

Korea’s most representative temple full of National Treasures and Treasures

Bulguksa Temple has a history of 1,500 years, and thus, it has many national treasures and treasures, including Dabotap Pagoda, Seokgatap Pagoda, Yeonhwagyo Bridge, Chilbogyo Bridge, Cheongungyo Bridge, Baegungyo Bridge, Gilt-bronze Seated Vairocana Buddha, Daeungjeon Hall, and Stupa. When you enter the Iljumun Gate (the first door to enter a temple), you will find a hanging board engraved with “Bulguksa (the Land of Buddha).” You will then be welcomed by big trees and cross an arch bridge above a pond, which is now gone. 

Finally, you will find the Bulguksa Temple’s most representative buildings and structures after you enter the Cheonwangmun Gate, guarded by the four heavenly kings. The Cheongungyo and Baegungyo Bridges are high-quality structures that you can see only in this temple. These stone bridges are built as stairs leading to the Jahamun Gate, the front gate of the Daeungjeon Hall. Their names mean you will enter the Land of Buddha high above the clouds once you climb the stairs. 

Dabotap and Seokgatap Pagodas are facing each other in the yard of the Daeungjeon Hall. The luxurious visage of the Dabotap Pagoda and the graceful appearance of the Seokgatap Pagoda make a harmony of extremes. Yet, the Seokgatap Pagoda has a tragic story. When Asadal, a stonemason of the Baekje Dynasty, was building the pagoda, his wife, Asanyeo, came to meet him. However, a monk said he must not meet any others, including his family, until the pagoda was built completely. Hence, Asanyeo waited by a nearby pond until the top of the pagoda was seen on its surface. She kept praying for his return for days and months, but he didn’t return. In the end, she was heartbroken and threw herself into the pond. That is why the nickname of the Seokgatap Pagoda is Muyeongtap (a shadowless pagoda). 

Behind the Daeungjeon Hall lie the Geungnakjeon Hall, Museoljeon Hall, Birojeon Hall, and Gwaneumjeon Hall. There’s a superstition that those who touch a golden pig before the Geungnakjeon Hall will be blessed, and thus, many visit the hall to touch it. However, the real golden pig is hidden behind the hall’s hanging board. It was hidden for a long time, but it became famous as soon as a Korean variety show introduced it to the public. The stupa designated as a treasure is standing in the yard of the Birojeon Hall. Its cylindrical appearance with the cloud-like design is absolutely alluring.

The world’s best and unprecedented structure 

Bulguksa Temple could stand on the slope of Tohamsan Mountain because of the geuraengi technique (a traditional stonemasonry technique). If you take a closer look at its stonework, you will find that the stone surfaces are geared up and stacked up perfectly, and the bottom surfaces of wooden pillars are chiseled in the exact shape of each stone’s surface. It is highly admirable that our ancestors kept the beauty of nature while realizing the perfect structure that won’t collapse easily by any earthquakes. 

Another masterpiece that proves the Silla Dynasty’s structural superiority is Seokguram Grotto. It is the world’s only artificial rock cave temple. Many Korean mountains contain granites, so they are hardly penetrated. Hence, our ancestors stacked up stones to make this rock cave hermitage. Its reliably rigid dome structure made of 360 rocks of 20 tons each is the world’s unprecedented architecture technology. In addition, the 3.4 m high seated stone Buddha inside this artificial rock cave is made of granites and is also one of the world’s masterpieces in rock caves.