“A Buddhist temple building showcasing the evolution of Buddhist architecture during the Joseon Dynasty is set to become a treasure.”
The National Heritage Administration announced on the 3rd that it plans to designate ‘Unginjeon of Gwangheungsa Temple, Andong’ as a National Cultural Heritage Treasure. They intend to collect public opinions for a month and finalize the designation through the deliberation of the Cultural Heritage Committee.
Gwangheungsa Temple is known as an ancient temple believed to have been founded during the Unified Silla period. It was large enough to have active Buddhist scripture publications during the early Joseon period.
Unginjeon is believed to have been built in the mid-Joseon period, as records indicate roof work was carried out in the 25th year of King Injo’s reign (1647).
Gwangheungsa Temple experienced two fires in 1827 and 1946, which destroyed major pavilions, including the main hall. Unginjeon, being away from the central area, was spared and subsequently used as the main Buddhist hall.
The building features a structure with five sections at the front and two on the side, with overlapping eaves and a hipped roof. The front is adorned in the multi-bracket style, with brackets installed between the columns, giving it a splendid appearance. In contrast, the sides and rear are relatively simple, with brackets only placed on top of the columns. A National Heritage Administration official noted that the brackets “retain characteristics of the early Joseon period while also exhibiting later stylistic changes, giving it great academic value.”
Inside, there is a collection of forty-two ‘Clay Seated Sakyamuni Buddha Statues and Sixteen Arahants’ designated as Gyeongbuk Provincial Cultural Heritage. These statues are believed to have been created in the 16th century. The National Heritage Administration highlighted that “the number of statues and their unique arrangement offer high artistic and research value.”