Myohyangsan Bohyeonsa Temple

NORTH KOREA, North Pyongan, Hyangsan

Bohyeonsa means Samantabhadra Temple and is located on Myohyangsan (Wondrous Fragrance Mountain). It is affiliated with the Jogye order of Korean Seon Buddhism. The temple was founded in 1042 during the Goryeo dynasty. It has been destroyed by fire on three occasions and underwent several reconstructions before it acquired its current appearance. It is listed as National Treasure No. 40.
The south-facing temple is fronted by the Jogye Gate. The major buildings are laid out along the central axis and include the Gate of Liberation, Heavenly King Gate, nine-tier pagoda, Hall of Ten Thousand Years, thirteen-tier octagonal pagoda, and Great Hero Hall. Other important structures within the temple include the Avalokitesvara Hall and the Sacred Mountain Hall, as well as some hermitages. The compound is large in scale with a dense arrangement of buildings.
The three-by-one bay Jogye Gate has a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. The thirteen-tier octagonal pagoda stands on a three-layer base platform and has a base sculpted with lotuses. The pagoda body has rectangular frames on each face formed by pilasters. There are wind chimes hanging from the corners of the eaves. It is listed as National Treasure No. 144.
The Great Hero Hall, originally known as the Universal Light Hall, was built in 1765 during the Joseon dynasty. It was destroyed during the Korean War in the 1950s and reconstructed in 1976. The five-by-three bay structure has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. It has lotus-shaped bracket sets, which have seven tiers on the exterior and eleven tiers inside. The ends of the beams are decorated with dragon heads, and the doors are adorned with carvings of dragons and lotus stalks. The hall itself houses a statue of Vairocana Buddha, while the ceiling is sculpted with depictions of flowers and fishes.
Several halls and hermitages of the temple are listed as state-recognized treasures. The temple also houses a copy of the Tripitaka Koreana.