Magoksa Temple

SOUTH KOREA, South Chungcheong, Gongju

Magoksa, meaning Hemp Stacks Temple, is one of the most famous temples in Korea. It was built by a monk named Jajang Yulsa in 640. According to one of the many legends related to its origin, the temple was packed with followers of the great monk Bocheol “as if they were hemp stacks in a hemp field,” and therefore it was named Magoksa.
The main buildings include the Great Hero Hall, Hall of Great Light, Sacred Mountain Hall, Judgment Hall, National Master Hall, and five-tier stone pagoda. The Hall of Great Light is five bays wide with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. In front of the Hall of Great Light there is a tall and slim five-tier stone pagoda built in the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). The bronze decoration at the top of the pagoda resembles a Tibetan stupa. It demonstrates the influence of the Chinese Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) and has been used in research on Tibetan stupas. Other treasures of Magoksa Temple include the Lotus Sutra inscribed in silver on indigo blue paper, a bronze incense burner inlaid with a silver lining and a bronze bell, as well as a painting of Sakyamuni Buddha Assembly dated 1687 from the Joseon dynasty.