Five-story Stone Pagoda from Hongje-dong, Seoul

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.166

Category

Sites & Pagodas

Era

고려시대

Designated year

1963

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울 용산구 서빙고로 137, 국립중앙박물관 (용산동6가)

Coordinates

37.522059, 126.980990

Originally located at the former site of Sahyeonsa Temple, this five-story stone pagoda was moved to Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1970, and then to the National Museum of Korea, Seoul. Unusually, the main body of this pagoda is not supported by a stylobate but rather by a natural stone which gives an appearance of solidity on the whole, despite the absence of a stylobate, and which appears to have been repaired at a later date. Each of core and roof stones is hewn from a single stone. The core stone of the first story is unadorned, while the other core stones are engraved with pillar patterns which divide each face of the stones in two, and on which are carved square frame (door-looking) patterns. All the core stones of each floor seem to deliberately imitate the style of wooden buildings, judging from the narrow bottoms and the wide tops of the core stones. The roof stones are wide and thin but look heavy, while the thick eaves are horizontal, but turn swiftly upward at the ends. The pagoda is thought to have been erected at the same time as Sahyeonsa Temple, which - according to the inscription on the Stele for State Preceptor Hyeso at Chiljangsa Temple, Anseong (Treasure No. 488) - was founded in 1045 (the 12th year of the reign of King Jeongjong of the Goryeo Dynasty).

Location