Seokguram, located on Mt.Tohamsan, is the representative stone temple of Korea. Designated as World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995, it is an artificial stone temple made of granite. The construction was started by Kim Dae-Seong in 751 A.D. during the reign of King Gyeong-Deok of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) and it was finished twenty-four years later in 774, during the reign of King Hye-Gong.
Inside the round-shaped main hall, there are the Bonjon Statue, Bodhi-sattva and his disciples. Seokguram was built to preserve these statues. The Bonjon figure wearing a generous smile is seated on the stage engraved with lotus flower design. The rounded ceiling looks like a half-moon or a bow and has a lotus flower decorated cover on it.
The domed ceiling of the main chamber is exquisitely made from over 360 pieces of flat stone. The superb architectural technique employed here is unprecedented in the world in its excellence.
As the sunrise from this spot is so beautiful, many people climb the mountain at daybreak.
* Admission time During the spring/fall season (Feb~Mar, Oct): 7am ~ 5:30pm During the summer season (Mar~Sep): 6:30am ~ 6pm During the winter season (Nov~Jan): 7am ~ 5pm
Address
999 Jinhyeon-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea