2. Known as the ‘Museum without Walls’ because of the vast number of
cultural properties and archaeological sites of the city, Gyeongju was the
former capital of the Silla Kingdom, which ruled Korea from the 7th to
the 9th centuries. Many of the city’s buildings, including temple
complexes, palaces and a royal observatory, are protected as UNESCO
World Heritage Sites.
Bulguksa Royal Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is
considered to be one of the finest temples on the Korean Peninsula. A
masterpiece of Silla architecture and artwork, it was constructed in the
8th century and is elaborately painted and decorated. Located on the
flank of Tohamsan Mountain in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Bulguksa
Temple was founded by Kim Dae-seong in 751 (the 10th year of the
reign of King Gyeongdeok of the Unified Silla Dynasty). According to
Samguk yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), Bulguksa Temple
was built for the parents of Kim’s present life whereas Seokguram
Grotto was carved for the parents of his previous existence

3. Bulguksa Temple Iljumun gate

4. Pinus densiflora f. multicaulis Uyeki

5. The beautiful pond, called Banya Yeonji, is an additional attraction near Bulguksa.
Bulguksa is located on the slopes of mount Toham (Jinheon-dong, Gyeongju city, North
Gyeongsang province, South Korea). It is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean
Buddhism and is a representative relic of Buddhist culture from the Silla kingdom

6. Maritime
Pine bark
pattern is
seamless
texture
The National
Reforestation
Programme,
restored the
forest
ecosystem
which now
occupies 64%
of the
country’s
landscape
In the 1950s,
Korean forest
coverage hit its
lowest,
marking up
only 35% of
the landscape

7. Bulguksa Temple park - Wolsandaejongsa stupa

9. West
North

10. East
South

12. Entrance Gate Cheon-
Wangmun (Four Guardian
Kings)
Gate Cheon-Wangmun marks
the entrance to the temple.
The purpose of the Four
Heavenly Kings in the second
gate is to protect Buddhism
and the Buddha’s teachings.
Their ferocious looks reflect
their duty to force unruly
spirits to submit to their will
and to focus the minds of
temple visitors

13. Here you can buy ceramic tiles
which you can pen your well
wishes on
Korean temples have most of the
time a traditional architecture,
and the roofs are mainly
composed by thousands of tiles
that can be damaged or
destroyed with the time.
By buying new tiles to the
temple, visitors can financially
support the monks but also write
down their wishes or messages
that will be litteraly slot in the
temple

14. Bulguksa Temple Bell tower

15. Entrance view with stairway leading to Jahamun Gate: Cheongungyo Bridge (Blue Cloud Bridge) and Baekungyo Bridge (White Cloud Bridge)

16. Daeungjeon (Sakyamuni Hall)
and Geungnakjeon (Amithaba
Hall), the prayer halls of
Bulguksa Temple, can be
reached by two ways – via
Cheongungyo and Baegungyo
Bridges to the east, or via
Yeonhwagyo and Chilbogyo
Bridges to the west.
Cheongungyo Bridge (Blue Cloud
Bridge) and Baekungyo Bridge
(White Cloud Bridge) are
connected to Jahamun Gate,
which leads to Sakyamuni Hall,
and are considered to be
symbolic structures that
connect the world of common
people under the bridge with
the world of Buddha over it

17. The Blue Cloud Bridge makes up
the lower span of the stair while
the White Cloud Bridge is the
upper part. The bridges lead to
the Jahamun (Golden Purple
Gate) which leads to Shakyamuni
Hall.
There are 33 steps on the
stairway, which slopes at a 45
degree angle, and each step
corresponds to one of the 33
heavens of Buddhism.
The lower Blue Cloud Bridge has
seventeen steps while the upper
White Cloud Bridge has sixteen.
The large arch underneath the
stairwell testifies to the use of
arches in Silla-style bridges and
the remains of a pond that once
flowed underneath the bridge

18. Since the under part of the
bridges is rainbow-shaped arch,
it make smooth and vital the
view that is hardened by the
rectilinear lines. It is said that
there used to be a pond under
the reinforced stonewall where
the bridges are. Even now, a
device making water fall down
remains to the left of the
staircase. It is said that when
water fell from here, a rainbow
was created by the spray from
the falling water. Presumed to
have been built in 751 (the
10th year of the reign of King
Gyeongdeok of Unified Silla),
these structures are very
precious because they are the
only bridges of the Silla Period
to have survived fully intact.
Furthermore, the rainbow-
shaped arch of the under part is
of great significance as it
provides an indication of the
earliest use of arches in stone
bridges and fortress gates.

19. Ceomyeongnu Pavilion-Jwagyeongnu Pavilion of Bulguksa

20. Bulguksa Temple has suffered through many of the nation’s most severe trials. The
series of elevated stone terraces and the overall masonry foundation mostly survive
intact from the 8th century, but the original wooden buildings were all burned down
during the Japanese invasion of 1592 and have been restored about 40 times since
the initial reconstruction in the 37th year (1604) of King Seonjo of the Joseon
Dynasty
Bulguksa Temple Stone Elevation, considered National Treasure

22. Danggan is a flagpole hoisting the flag called dang, and
Dangganjiju(flagpole support) is a pair of stone pillars
erected to support the flagpole. There are two pairs of
Dangganjiju at Bulguksa temple

24. Jahamun Gate detail. Carved and painted eaves

25. Entrance stairs seen from
Jahamun Gate

27. Lanterns near Jahamun Gates

28. The temple is framed by corridors into which Jahamun Gate, Shakyamuni Hall, and Museoljeon Hall
are built. According to Buddhist beliefs, lanterns symbolize wisdom in that they bring light to the
world. Lighting lantern, is an important ritual in Buddhism. You can make a small donation and hang
your own paper lantern in the temple complex. A small paper tag is attached to the lantern, and
people write their name and a wish on the card

29. Mogeo drum, or mok-eo is an instrument used in Buddhist rituals in Korea.
It is a kind of wooden fish and) stands for all beings in the water. It is a
Dharma instrument which admonishes practitioners to be constantly awake
to cultivate themselves just as fish keep their eyes open day and night

30. Ceiling of fish drum

31. When the Dharma ceremony is conducted in
the early mornings and evenings at temples,
the sounds of the four instruments are offered
first of all. The four instruments are: the
Dharma drum, the temple bell, the wooden
fish and the cloud-shaped gong. The Dharma
drum is sounded to save all land animals

32. The large
temple site is
centred on
two courts.
One of the
courts is
centred on
Daeungjeon,
the hall
which houses
the
Shakyamuni
Buddha

33. Daeungjeon (the Hall of Great Enlightenment) Carved and painted eaves

34. Daeungjeon (the Hall of Great Enlightenment)

35. There are two pagodas on the
Shakyamuni temple site. The
three-story Seokgatap
(Sakyamuni Pagoda) which
stands at 8.2 meters and
Dabotap (Yin).
Its name can literally be
translated as “the pagoda of
abundant treasures”. With its
10m high, this one also dates
from the Unified Silla period.
Its image is reproduced on the
South Korean 10 won coin
Dabotap and Seokgatap are
Korean National Treasures

36. Daeungjeon (the Hall of Great Enlightenment) is the main hall, enshrines the
Sakyamuni Buddha and was first built in 681

37. Daeungjeon (the Hall of Great Enlightenment)

38. Daeungjeon (the Hall of Great Enlightenment)

39. Daeungjeon (the Hall of Great Enlightenment)

40. Daeungjeon (the Hall of Great Enlightenment)

41. Geungnakjeon (Hall of paradise),
standing near the main
compound, enshrines the gilt-
bronze seated Amitabha Buddha
that is national treasure

42. This 1.66-meter-tall statue of Amitabha Buddha is an ideal and highly refined work
of the Unified Silla Period. This statue is regarded as one of the three greatest gilt-
bronze Buddhist statues of the Unified Silla Period, along with the Gilt-bronze Seated
Vairocana Buddha of Bulguksa Temple and the Gilt-bronze Standing Bhaisajyaguru
Buddha of Baengnyulsa Temple.

44. The lucky pig
Geungnakjeon (Hall of paradise)

45. Geungnakjeon (Hall of paradise)

46. Geungnakjeon (Hall of paradise)

47. Bulguksa Temple
Geungnakjeon
(Hall of paradise)

48. Museoljeon
Hall.
It
is
believed
to
be
the
oldest
structure
in
the
temple
area

49. Museoljeon Hall
The hall has
been used for
various Buddhist
lectures.
Yeongsan
Hoesangdo (the
assembly on
Vulture Peak), is
a large altar
painting
produced in
1749

50. Museoljeon Hall. Kim Gyo-gak, Kitigarbha Bodhisattva

51. Museoljeon
Hall
(The
lecture
Hall)

53. Museoljeon Hall

54. Bulguksa Temple Birojeon Hall

55. The Buddha of Enlightenment is
enshrined in the Birojeon. It is
1.77 meters in height and made
from gilt-bronze. The head of the
Buddha has an usnisa, a symbol
of supreme wisdom. The hands of
the Buddha are in a position, the
right index finger covered by the
left hand, which often is used to
symbolize the Buddha of
Enlightenment. Estimated to be
from the 9th century, is National
Treasure

56. Birojeon hall, The Buddha of Enlightenment

57. Birojeon
hall,
The
Buddha
of
Enlightenment

59. Corridor

60. The Stupa which is Korean Treasure. This
sarira pagoda, or stupa, looks like a stone
lantern. The artifact was at one point
taken to Japan in 1906 but was returned
in 1933. It is from the Goryeo Dynasty,
but shows the influence of Silla Dynasty art

61. Nahanjeon Hall

62. Housed inside Nahanjeon shrine hall are sixteen
wooden statues dedicated to the Nahan (The
Historical Disciples of the Buddha)

63. Nahanjeon shrine hall

64. Anyangmun gate

66. Stairs leading to Gwaneumjeon (Hall of Guanyin) hall

67. Bulguksa Temple Gwaneumjeon (Hall of Guanyin)

68. Bulguksa
Temple
Gwaneumjeon
(Hall
of
Guanyin)

69. Bulguksa Temple Gwaneumjeon (Hall of Guanyin)

71. Bulguksa Temple Gwaneumjeon (Hall of Guanyin)

72. Text : Internet
Pictures: Nicoleta & Iulian Leu
Sanda Foişoreanu
Gabriela Balaban
Internet
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Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu
https://www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda
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Sound: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mantra For Eliminating Predicament Karma _ Om Ha Ha Ha Vismaye Svaha
2023