Bomunsaji Yeonhwamun Flagpole Support Pillars, Gyeongju

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.910

Category

Architecture

Era

통일신라시대

Designated year

1987

Location

경주시, 경상북도— 경북 경주시 보문동 752-2번지

Coordinates

35.828878, 129.253348

In a Buddhist temple, a flagpole was used to hold a huge flag or a banner called dang at the entrance during a large-scale event like a ceremonial ritual. A flagpole was usually accompanied by a pair of supports standing on each side. Though the Bomunsa Temple Site is located southeast of these flagpole supports, it is not clear whether these supports originally belonged to this temple. The flagpole supports now stand at the heart of a broad rice paddy spanning 62cm, facing each other in the east-west direction. It is hard to see the structure of the lower parts of these supports, because they are buried under the ground. The middle part of both supports is larger than the rest of the parts, and a big groove 13 cm wide is placed on the top part of each support in order to fix a flagpole. A unique feature of these supports is the square frame on the outer topside of each support. A lotus flower with eight petals is carved on these square frames, and this kind of decoration is rarely found. These supports are presumed to have been built in the middle of the 8th century during the Unified Silla Period.

Location