East Three-story Stone Pagoda in Suljeong-ri, Changnyeong

Basic information

Designation

National Treasure No.34

Category

Sites & Pagodas

Era

통일신라시대

Designated year

1962

Location

창녕군, 경상남도— 경남 창녕군 창녕읍 시장2길 37 (술정리)

Coordinates

35.539596, 128.496104

This pagoda is situated in Changnyeong, an area that belonged to Silla from the Three Kingdoms Period on, and which became the political and military center of Silla from the reign of King Jinheung. The pagoda consists of a three-story body on a two-story platform, which was a common form for stone pagodas made in the Unified Silla Period. Each story of the platform is adorned with carvings of corner pillars and interior pillars. The roofstone is horizontal but its four corners are slightly raised, creating a simple figure. The roof supports consist of five layers. When the pagoda was dismantled for reconstruction in 1965, a number of Artifact including bronze cup-shaped lidded reliquaries were found in the third story of the main body, and surrounding stones were found around the bottom stone. The pagoda is well balanced and proportioned as a whole, and the detailed skills are also elaborate. As such, it is considered enough of a masterpiece to be compared with the Three-story Stone Pagoda of Bulguksa Temple (National Treasure No. 21). Furthermore, considering the regional characteristics of Changnyeong (i.e. that it belonged to the territory of Silla from the Three Kingdoms Period), this masterpiece of the Unified Silla Period (c. mid-8th century) also sheds light on the pagoda construction trend that emerged around Gyeongju.

Location