North Buddhist Stupa of Seonamsa Temple, Suncheon
順天 仙巖寺 北 僧塔
전라남도 순천시
Basic information
- Designation
- Treasure No.1184
- Category
- Sites & Pagodas
- Era
- 고려전기
- Designated year
- 1993
- Location
- 순천시, 전라남도— 전남 순천시 승주읍 선암사길 450, 선암사 (죽학리) / (지번)전남 순천시 승주읍 죽학리 산48-1 선암사
- Coordinates
- 34.998183, 127.327880
AI Docent
✨ AI-generatedWelcome to the North Buddhist Stupa of Seonamsa Temple! Imagine walking up a quiet mountainside, 400 meters north of the temple's main buildings, where you'll discover this remarkable monument to spiritual life. This stupa isn't just any structure—it's a sacred grave honoring Buddhist monks, holding their cremated remains. What makes it extraordinary is the craftsmanship. Every surface tells a story through carved symbols: lions and clouds at the base represent strength and heaven, lotus flowers symbolize spiritual purity, and guardian spirits called Inwang stand watch on the sides. The roof itself blooms with flower carvings that seem to reach skyward. Built during the early Goryeo Dynasty, over a thousand years ago, this stupa showcases the artistic mastery of its era. The intricate details—from the octagonal design to the delicate lotus finial crowning the top—reveal how deeply crafted and intentional every element is. Standing here, you're witnessing not just stone and carving, but centuries of devotion frozen in time.
⚠ This is an AI-generated retelling of the official description. For accuracy, refer to the official description below.
Description
Stupa symbolizes the grave of monks and enshrines bone cremains or sarira. Located at Seonjoam Hermitage on a quiet mountainside 400 m north from the center of Seonamsa Temple, this stupa is built on the stylobate consisting of three supporting stones made in an octagonal shape. The bottom base of the stylobate has carvings of lion image and cloud design; the middle one has symbolic images of the elephant’s eyes, whereas the top one has 8 carved sides of lotus design. The body stone has corner pillars on every side, with its front and rear sides having carvings of door and lock design and the front side having Inwang (guardian spirit) image on each of the right and left sides. The heavy roof stone has carvings of large flower decoration that stretches upward at every corner. Carvings of wheel and finial with lotus bud shape remain as the head ornament at the top. This stupa seems to have been made during the early Goryeo Dynasty, judging from the technique and carving style of lion image, cloud design, lotus shape, and Inwang image.
Location
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Images: KOGL (khs.go.kr) · Data source: Korea Heritage Service Open API (khs.go.kr)