Three-Story Pagodas at GAMEUNSA Temple | 慶州感恩寺址 | 경주 감은사지

Three-Story Pagodas at GAMEUNSA Temple

Historic Site NO.31. National Treasure NO.112
Location : Yongdang-ri, Yangbuk-myeon, Gyeongju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do

After unifying the Korean Peninsula Munmu-wang(r.661-681), the 30th ruler of Silla(57.B.C-A.D.935). began to build the temple to repel Japanese marauder. It was completed in 682 by his son, Shinmun-wang (r.681-692).

Munmu-wang vowed to become a sea dragon to protect his country even after his death and ordered that upon his death he be cremated and buried at sea.

In keeping with his father's wish, Shinmun-wang had his father cremated and buried in an underwater tomb, Daewang-am, in the East Sea.

He also had a waterway built to the main worship hall of Gameunsa so that the dragon king could come there to rest.

Two 13.4m-tall, three-story pagodas stand in front of the site of the long-vanished main hall.

Each has a two-stepped foundation and three-story body with curving, corniced roofstones in a style typical of Korean stone pagodas.

The west pagoda was dismantled and restored in 1959–60 and the east pagoda was dismantled and restored in 1996, A gilt bronze casket containing sari (calcified remains of a holy person after cremation) and other artifacts was found inside each pagoda.

The sari sets provide valuable information on the Unified Silla system of enshiring sari in a pagoda.