Stele for the Construction of Bongseonhonggyeongsa Temple, Cheonan

Basic information

Designation

National Treasure No.7

Category

Sites & Pagodas

Era

고려 현종 17년(1026)

Designated year

1962

Location

천안시, 충청남도— 충청남도 천안시 서북구 성환읍 대홍리 319-8

Coordinates

36.943152, 127.134710

This atypical stele has a capstone and a tortoise-shaped pedestal with a dragon’s head. Generally speaking, small stone steles are not topped with either an ornamental capstone or a roofstone, but with a rounded head instead. The site at which the stele stands now was previously occupied by a Buddhist temple named Bongseonhonggyeongsa, which was built in 1021 (the 12th year of the reign of King Hyeonjong of the Goryeo Dynasty). The temple’s original name was Honggyeongsa, but it was renamed Bongseon (literally meaning “to honor the predecessor”) by King Hyeonjong, who fulfilled his father King Anjong’s wish to complete the temple in order to propagate Buddhist teachings. Steles or monuments were generally erected on a tortoise-shaped pedestal, but the pedestal of this stele has a tortoise-shaped body and a dragon’s head with a fin-shaped wing on each of its sides, showing some changes in style. The stele’s name is horizontally carved on the upper part of its body, while a dragon surrounded by clouds is carved on the capstone. The inscription was composed by Choe Chung, who was also known as Haedong Gongja (“Eastern Confucius”)) due to his reputation as one of the greatest Confucian scholars of the Goryeo Dynasty, and was calligraphed by Baek Hyeon-rye. The inscription states that the stele was erected in 1026 (the 17th year of King Hyeonjong’s reign), that is, five years after the construction of the temple.

Location