Hoeamsaji Saritap, Yangju

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2130

Category

Sites & Pagodas

Era

조선시대

Designated year

2021

Location

양주시, 경기도— 경기도 양주시 회암동 산 14-3

Coordinates

37.846186, 127.106684

This English description was machine-translated and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the original Korean text for details.

The Yangjju Hoeiamsa Reliquary Tower represents a grand-scale Buddhist relic tower commissioned by early-Joseon royalty, possessing excellent preservation condition while conveying diverse elements of royal Buddhist art through its form, Buddhist iconography, and decorative patterns. Situated within the 'Yangjju Hoeiamsa Historical Site,' the tower underwent excavation and scholarly research establishing it as a Buddhist relic tower enshrining Shakyamuni Buddha's authentic remains. The diverse carvings adorning the tower demonstrate stylistic similarities to early-Joseon royal-commissioned stone structures, suggesting potential influence relationships with the Samhwa Pagoda within the Hoeiamsa complex. The reliquary tower comprises an octagonal multi-tiered base section, spherical tower body, and upper ornamental section. Constructed on an octagonal foundation with two-stage base tiers atop the ground stone, the base stones are carved higher than other pagodas while the crowning stones are exceptionally thick, featuring the highest base among existing reliquary towers. The base facets display diverse ornamentation with dragons, qilins, floral patterns, scrollwork, and celestial beings sequentially arranged from the lower-tier base stone through upper-tier crowning stone. The tower body comprises a spherical form resembling another reliquary tower overlaid upon the structure. The entire four-tiered base construction, upper section forming a low octagonal tier with spherical tower body and roofstone, and upper ornamental finial create an ascending composition. Overall styling, construction techniques, and detailed patterns demonstrate similarity to early-Joseon royal tombs and related stone structures, suggesting design and execution by master stonemasons of the highest caliber. The reliquary tower's scale, stone-dressing condition, and construction methodology exemplify early-Joseon stone art mastery and significance as a representative masterwork with considerable historical, scholarly, and formal aesthetic value.

Location