Unjusa
| temple
Korea (South) /
Chollanam /
Hwasun /
Cheontae-ro, 91-44
World
/ Korea (South)
/ Chollanam
/ Hwasun
World / South Korea / Jeollanam-do
temple
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Compared with other temples in South Korea, Unjusa has an unusual collection of stone Buddha statues and stone pagodas, so Unjusa is often referred to as the mysterious temple.
Legend has it that according to the traditional theory of Korean geomancy, the Korean peninsula was thought to be unbalanced and in danger of capsizing because there were fewer mountains in Honam, the southwestern part of the peninsula, than in Yeongnam, in the southeastern part.
To prevent this disaster, one night Monk Doseon (도선국사) called stone masons down from heaven to build a thousand Buddha statues and pagodas at Unjusa, in the southwestern part of the peninsula. However before the last Buddha statues could be completed, the cock crowed recalling the stonemasons back to heaven just before the crack of dawn, leaving two statues lying unfinished on the ground. These two unfinished statues became known as "Wabul" (와불) or The Stone Statues of the Lying Buddha.
A more practical explanation is that Unjusa was created as a school for stonemasons about mid Goyreo Dynasty era.
Unjusa has been excavated four times, since 1984. A stone Buddha chamber was dismantled and restored, a multiple-story cylindrical pagoda was repaired, and Iljumun(gate) and Bojegak was newly constructed. The road toward a lying Buddha also was constrcted in 1997. 21 stone pagodas and 93 stone Buddhas now are preserved at the temple.
Unjusa is Historic Site #312 and has several other Treasures and Tangible Cultural Properties.
Legend has it that according to the traditional theory of Korean geomancy, the Korean peninsula was thought to be unbalanced and in danger of capsizing because there were fewer mountains in Honam, the southwestern part of the peninsula, than in Yeongnam, in the southeastern part.
To prevent this disaster, one night Monk Doseon (도선국사) called stone masons down from heaven to build a thousand Buddha statues and pagodas at Unjusa, in the southwestern part of the peninsula. However before the last Buddha statues could be completed, the cock crowed recalling the stonemasons back to heaven just before the crack of dawn, leaving two statues lying unfinished on the ground. These two unfinished statues became known as "Wabul" (와불) or The Stone Statues of the Lying Buddha.
A more practical explanation is that Unjusa was created as a school for stonemasons about mid Goyreo Dynasty era.
Unjusa has been excavated four times, since 1984. A stone Buddha chamber was dismantled and restored, a multiple-story cylindrical pagoda was repaired, and Iljumun(gate) and Bojegak was newly constructed. The road toward a lying Buddha also was constrcted in 1997. 21 stone pagodas and 93 stone Buddhas now are preserved at the temple.
Unjusa is Historic Site #312 and has several other Treasures and Tangible Cultural Properties.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unjusa
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 34°55'30"N 126°52'47"E
- Baekyangsa (백양사) 58 km
- Hwaeomsa (화엄사) 67 km
- Naesosa 82 km
- Mireuksa 미륵사 122 km
- Haeinsa 147 km
- Jikjisa 167 km
- Beopjusa (Beopju Buddhist Temple) - 법주사 200 km
- Tongdosa 208 km
- Manbulsa (Buddhist Temple) 224 km
- Bulguksa 242 km
- Reservoir 3.2 km
- Club900 Country Club 5.8 km
- Naju Bonghwangmyeon Songhyun Reservoir (Phoenix Reservoir) 8.3 km
- Dogokmyeon (도곡면) 8.6 km
- Bonghwang-myeon 10 km
- Songrim Reservoir (송림저수자) 11 km
- Dogok Hot Springs 12 km
- Seji-myeon 12 km
- Korea Electric Power Corporation 14 km
- Yeongsan-dong 17 km