Global Treasures PULGUK-SA - South Korea

At the foot of Mount Tohamsan in the region of Gyeong-Ju is South Koreas impressive Pulguk-Sa Temple. In the middle of the eighth century while under the rule of Silla monarch, King Gyeongdeok, the sanctuary was enlarged with various fine buildings. In 774 A.D. the beautifully decorated temple was given its name of Pulguk-Sa, the Temple Of Buddhas Land. During the five hundred years of the Goryeo Dynasty several kings influenced the buildings of the Pulguk-Sa Temple, thus its architecture is something of a mixture. In the first courtyard of the temple complex there are some fine stone pagodas particularly the three storey high Dabotap Pagoda. The original beauty of the buildings has withstood the often violent history of South Korea and Pulguk-Sa is still regarded both as a masterpiece of Buddhist art and the home of many of Koreas national treasures.