Hwangnyongsa is a former temple of the Shilla dynasty, built in the 9th century, and in its day it was the center of Buddhist worship and learning on the peninsula. Having been constructed of wood, the Mongol invasion of the 13th century left it devastated by fire and today only a bit of the foundation remains in a field next to Bunhwangsa. An 8-year excavation begun in 1976 yielded approximately 40,000 artifacts and discovered the temple to have been so massive that 100 residents were forced to relocate their houses to accommodate the inquiry; the Samguk Yusa records that it once held an 80-meter high, nine story stone pagoda and a large Sakyamuni Buddha, of which the pedestal is believed to be still extant.
According to legend, the site first caught the attention of King Jinheung in 554 and he intended to build a new palace there, but decided on a temple instead upon being told that a dragon had been sighted there. After Silla unified the peninsula, the temple became the center of a nationalist undertaking to spread Buddhism from the royal court to the common people -- against resistance from the nobles -- and there is another legend about the king's Grand Secretary executing a plan to make himself a martyr for the cause, with miracles following his execution. The massive temple was built to impress foreign visitors and secure the power of Buddha; the nine stories of the pagoda may have been meant to symbolize Silla's destiny to conquer the nine nations of East Asia, though it was actually built during the reign of Queen Seondeok.
The temple took 17 years to complete.
[edit] Sources
|
