Jeondeungsa Temple Great Hero Hall

SOUTH KOREA, Incheon

The Great Hero Hall is located within the compound of Jeondeungsa (Temple of Light Transmission). The hall was built in 1621 and reconstructed in 1800 during the Joseon dynasty. It was listed as Treasure No. 178 in 1963.
The three-by-three bay hall has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The hall contains a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked by the Medicine and Amitabha Buddhas. Behind the statue of the Buddha there are murals of the assemblies of these three Buddhas, painted in 1880 during the Joseon dynasty. The canopy above Sakyamuni Buddha is carved with motifs of dragons, phoenixes, and clouds representing the Pure Land. Elegant patterns of dragons and flowers are also carved on the columns, tie beams, and plafonds. A rare nude sculpture of a person holding up the eaves has been carved between the bracket set and the rafter. The hall also houses 104 wooden printing blocks of the Lotus Sutra made by Jeongsusa Temple in 1544 during the Joseon dynasty. Well known for its exquisite carvings and colored paintings, the hall is considered a masterpiece of mid-Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) wooden structures.