Anguk-sa is a
Korean Buddhist temple
Buddhist temples are an important part of the Korean landscape. This article gives a brief overview of Korean Buddhism, then describes some of the more important temples in Korea. Most Korean temples have names ending in ''-sa'' (사, 寺), whic ...
situated in
Pyongsong,
South Pyongan
South Pyongan Province (Phyŏngannamdo; ) is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Pyongan Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, then became a province of North Korea. Its ca ...
Province,
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
. Built on the slopes of
Mt. Pongrin, the temple dates to the
Koryo dynasty, though all of the buildings date to later
Joseon dynasty
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
renovations. The building is registered as
National Treasure
The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the fundame ...
#34.
History
Anguk Temple was founded in 503 under
Koguryo
Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...
.
It was later reconstructed in 1419, and again renovated in 1785 under king
Chŏngjo.
Architecture
The temple has a linear layout. Through the temple's front gate is the outer court, with a monument to the temple's construction and a 9-tiered pagoda dating to the original Koryo temple. The
ginkgo tree located in this yard was planted around 1400, and is listed as
Living Monument #31.
Access to the temple's inner court is through T'aepyŏng Pavilion (, "Pavilion of Perfect Peace"), located across from the main gate/Though very simple on the outside, it is ornately painted within. The sighboard of the hall is said to have been painted by King
Sunjo of Joseon. Directly across from the pavilion is Taeung Hall ( "Hall of Great Enlightenment"). As the temple's main prayer hall, Taeung Hall is by far the most impressive of the temple's structures; it is also the largest at 17 by 13 meters long.
It has the curious feature of being two-storied in its construction, unlike most other Korean temples of the era, and has two gabled roofs supported by cow's tongue brackets. To the right of Taeung Hall is the temple dormitory; to the left is a library of Buddhist scriptures.
References
{{coord, 39, 18, 2, N, 125, 49, 35, E, region:KR_type:landmark, display=title
Buildings and structures in South Pyongan Province
Buddhist temples in North Korea
National Treasures of North Korea