The Myogilsang Buddhist statue is a carved

Bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...

located in the Grand Miruk Cliff in Manphok Valley, Inner Kumgang,

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 ...

. Dating from the Koryo period, it is 15 metres high and 9.4 metres wide. The statue was once part of a larger temple dedicated to

Manjushri Mañjuśrī (Sanskrit: मञ्जुश्री) is a ''bodhisattva'' associated with '' prajñā'' (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumārab ...

(the Bodhisattva of wisdom) that was laid to waste in the late-Choson period, leaving only the carving. A painting dated 1768 in the

National Museum of Korea The National Museum of Korea is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea and is the cultural organization that represents Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research a ...

in Seoul shows the carving inside the temple. It is the largest Buddhist stone image in Korea. The statue was visited by 150 tourists in 2007 as part of a pilot project to open the area to tourism from South Korea.

References

{{coord missing, North Korea National Treasures of North Korea