BULGUKSA TEMPLE

We visit absolutely this splendid testimony of Buddhist culture under Silla. The temple was founded in 528 by King Beop-heung and expanded under Kyeongdeok in 751, when it took its present name. It included about 80 buildings but was destroyed during the Japanese invasions of 1592 and then gradually rebuilt, but still damaged during the Korean War and a complete restoration of several years was completed in 1973. Today it has only 8 buildings and is certainly the most famous in the country. It has several national treasures. It is extremely visited and it is better to go there early in the morning or during the week because full buses disembark there. After passing Cheon-wangmun (celestial guardians) we arrive at the foot of the stairs (which date from Silla) responsible for the temple's fame. There are 2 large stone stairs on 2 levels that lead to the inner courtyards of the temple. The staircase on the right is called Cheong-ungyo ("the bridge of blue clouds") and Baek-un-gyo ("the bridge of white clouds"). The one on the left bears the names of Yeonhwa-gyo ("the lotus bridge") and Chilbo-gyo ("the bridge of the seven treasures"). The inner courtyard is entered from the side. There are the 2 famous stupas, masterpieces of the genre. They represent the yin and the yang. Dabotap, on the right, represents the female element and is the most developed of the two, with an original shape and even unique in Korea. The 4 pillars symbolize the 4 truths of Buddhism, and above the octagonal platform represents the eightfold path preached by the Buddha. Placed on bamboo-shaped pillars, a lotus symbolizes at the top the spiritual perfection finally achieved. On the left, Seokgatap represents the male element; it is made up of 3 very elegant floors of simplicity. Behind it is the main Daeungjeon hall, which dates back to the end of the 18th century. Then the hall of silence, Museoljeon. Finally, in a separate courtyard is Birojeon, the hall of Vairocana where a statue of this Buddha melted under Silla and recently restored is kept. On the right of this hall, high up, is Gwaneumjeon. It contains a beautiful golden statue of the bodhisattva standing in front of a magnificent painting. To the left of the main hall is Geongnakjeon (18th century) dedicated to Buddha Amitabha. It also contains a national treasure: a bronze statue of Amitabul. The covered peristyle around each lower courtyard evokes the royal palaces of Joseon, a rare architecture in a Korean temple.