Mireuksa was the largest Buddhist temple of the ancient Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-AD 660). According to Samgukyusa (historical records published in 1281), King Mu (30th king of Baekje, in power AD 600-641) and his wife Queen Seonhwa were said to have seen a vision of Mireuksamjon (the three Sanskrit) emerging from a large pond. At the time of their revelation, the king and queen were on their way to visit a Buddhist monk in Sajasa Temple on Yonghwasan Mountain (now known as Mireuksan Mountain). In response to their vision, the king drained the nearby pond and established Mireuksa Temple. The temple is believed to have shown the most advanced architectural and cultural skills of Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo (the three main kingdoms at that time). Records indicate that King Jinpyeong of Silla even sent his craftsmen over to assist with the temple construction. The two main features of the Mireuksa Temple Site are the stone pagoda (Mireuksaji Seoktap) and the flagpole supports (Mireuksaji Dangganjiju). The 14.24-meter-high west stone pagoda (National Treasure No. 11) is the oldest and largest Korean stone pagoda in existence. The west pagoda currently has only six tiers, but is estimated to originally have had nine. The nine-story east stone pagoda (27.67 meters in x_height) was restored to its original stature in 1993 based on historical records. Other surviving landmarks include the flagpole supports (Treasure No. 236) to the south of the stone pagodas. The 395 centimeter-tall poles are estimated to have been created during the Unified Silla period (AD 676-935) and are set 90 meters apart from east to west.
information
- Restrooms Available
- Admission Fees Free
- Interpretation Services Offered Information Material Available In English Japanese And Chinese At The Exhibition Hall Entrance
- World Cultural Heritage 1
- Inquiry and guidance 1330 Travel Hotline 82-2-1330 Br Korean English Japanese Chinese For More Info 82-63-859-3873 82-63-830-0900
- Parking facilities Available
- Rest day Mireuksa Temple Site N A Open All Year Round Br Iksan National Museum New Year S Day Mondays The Day Of Seollal Lunar Chuseok Korean Thanksgiving
- Hours of operation Mireuksa Temple Site Open 24 Hr Br Iksan National Museum 10 00-17 30
location
362, Mireuksaji-ro, Iksan-si, Jeollabuk-do