History
Bulguksa, the Temple of the Buddha Land, nestles in the western foothills of Mt. Tohamsan in Gyeongju City, Gyeong-sangbuk-do Province. Construction of Bulguksa was started under the supervision of Prime Minister Gim Dae-seong in 751 in the reign King Gyeongdeok of the Unified Silla Kingdom. Gim Dae-seong sustained the project for 24 years but died before it was completed around 780. Buddhist monks and architects devoted all their energies and ingenuity to the construction of this temple that would embody the bliss of Buddha within the mundane world.
Bulguksa Temple has suffered through many of the nation's most severe trials. The series of elevated stone terraces and the overall masonry foundation mostly survive intact from the 8th century, but the original wooden buildings were all burned down during the Japanese invasion of 1592 and have been restored about 40 times since the initial reconstruction in the 37th year (1604) of King Seonjo of the Joseon Dynasty.
Situated on elevated stone terraces, the cloistered temple courts are divided into two main areas, the realm of Sakyamuni and the realm of the Buddha Amitabha. The terraces that lead to the entrance of the main court form three distinct tiers. The top level suggests the realm of Buddha and the lower layers the mundane world. The size and shape of the elevated terraces combine the beauty of the symmetrical and the asymmetrical, the bold and the delicate, the artificial and the natural. At the elevated entrance are two flights of stairs with a total of 33 steps, representing the 33 heavens.
The lower stairs are known as Baegungyo, the Bridge of White Clouds, and the upper stairs as Cheongungyo, or the Bridge of Blue Clouds. The area below the wide middle landing between these two bridges symbolizes the river that separates the terrestrial from the celestial. The main court is centered on Daeungjeon, the hall dedicated to Sakyamuni. Outstanding structures here include Jahamun, the Gate of Purple Mist, Beomyeongnu, the Pavilion of Mount Meru, Jwagyeongnu, the Left Sutra Hall, and Museoljeon, the Hall of Discourse.
