Mireuksa Temple

SOUTH KOREA, North Jeolla, Iksan

Mireuksa means Maitreya Temple. It is located on the south side of Mireuksan (Maitreya Mountain). There are two versions of the origin of the temple. According to records, one day when King Mu (reigned 600–640) of Baekje and his wife Queen Seonhwa walked past Yonghwasan (Dragon Flower Mountain), they saw three images of Maitreya Buddha in a lake near the mountain. The queen vowed that she would build a temple at that place. King Mu drained the lake and built three halls and three pagodas. According to another legend, the temple was founded by King Mu’s father, King Beop (reigned 599), who originally named the temple Wangheungsa (Prosperous King Temple). The construction of the temple was not completed until King Mu’s reign and it was then renamed Mireuksa Temple. The temple was once reputed as the greatest in Korea. However, it was destroyed by an earthquake in 719. The site was excavated in 1974 and 1980.
The two excavations revealed the unique architectural layout of the temple. Three pagodas were situated in a straight line, stone pagodas were located on the east and west sides while a wooden pagoda was located in the center. To the north of each pagoda there was a Golden Hall. Each pagoda and hall was surrounded by covered walkways that divided the temple into three sections, the central of which was the largest. This one-hall-one-pagoda style was a special feature of the Baekje dynasty (18 BCE–663 CE).
National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties found within the temple site include a stone pagoda, two stone pillars used to support a flag pole, and a stone lantern.