Hwangnyongsa Temple Site

皇龍寺は、新羅真興王14年(553)に創建されて高麗高宗25年(1238年)の蒙古軍の侵攻によって焼失されるまで700年も続いた新羅最大の護国寺院です。特に、真興王35年(574)に鋳成された金銅三尊丈六尊像と善徳女王14年(645/新羅27代)に建立された九層木塔は、真平王の天賜玉帯と共に新羅三寶として知られています。

According to the "Samguk Sagi" and "Samguk Yusa," Hwangnyongsa Temple was founded in 553 (the 14th year of King Jinheung's reign/the 24th king of Silla). When they were planning to build a new palace a short distance east of Wolseong (the palace of Silla) in Gyeongju, a yellow dragon (Hwangnyong) appeared, so they stopped building the palace and started building a temple called Hwangnyongsa Temple.

In 574, a gilt bronze triad of the main Buddha, six-foot-tall, was made, followed by the main hall in 584 (the 6th year of King Jinpyeong's reign/the 26th year of the reign of Silla). In 645 (the 14th year of the reign of Queen Seondeok's reign/the 27th year of the reign of Silla), at the recommendation of the famous Silla monk Jajang, who had returned from studying in the Tang Dynasty, the Baekje craftsman Abijhi was summoned to complete the nine-story wooden pagoda in the same year.

The nine-story wooden pagoda represents the belief that the nine foreign nations surrounding Silla at the time (Japan, China, Wuyue, Tora, Eikoku, Mohe, Tanguk, Nudi, and Han) would be protected by the power of Buddha.

Currently, only ruins of the temple remain at the site of Hwangnyongsa Temple, which was excavated by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage from June 1976 to December 6. The Hwangnyongsa Temple site, which was built on top of filled-in swampland, had a total area of ​​about 1983 square meters and originally had a one-tower-one-main hall layout with the south gate, inner gate, wooden pagoda, main hall, and lecture hall all aligned north to south. However, after the construction of the Joroku statue and wooden pagoda, the layout changed to one-tower-three-main hall layout with smaller main halls on either side of the main hall, and the bell tower and sutra tower were placed diagonally on the left and right of the wooden pagoda.

A total of 9 relics have been excavated from the Hwangnyongsa Temple Site, including the stone pedestal of a gilt bronze triad of statues and the central cornerstone supporting the nine-story wooden pagoda, as well as tiles, containers, and metal objects from the Silla to Goryeo periods.

Photo posted 2005-11-12