Hwangnyongsa

Hwangnyongsa
A miniature reconstruction of what the main pagoda may have once looked like. (1/10 scale)
Korean name
Hangul
황룡사
Hanja
Revised RomanizationHwangryongsa
McCune–ReischauerHwangryongsa

Hwangnyongsa (Korean: 황룡사), alternatively Hwangnyong Temple or Hwangryongsa, was a Buddhist temple in the city of Gyeongju, South Korea.

Completed in the 7th century, the enormous 9-story structure was built entirely with wood with interlocking design with no iron nails. It had a standing total height of 68 m[1] (223 ft) or 80 m (262 ft), making it one of the tallest structures in East Asia at the time of its construction. Only the massive foundation stones of the temple remain in current times.

Hwangryongsa was the center of state-sponsored Buddhism during the Silla and Unified Silla eras which were cultural beacons of Buddhism during its time.[2] Its name means "Emperor/Imperial Dragon Temple."[2] Archaeological excavations and other scientific studies of the temple began in April 1976 (OCPRI[clarification needed] 1984) and continue today.

A replica of the building called Hwangnyongwon (Korean: 황룡원) now exists in Gyeongju, within the Bomun Tourism Complex. The building is used to host events, including conferences, banquets, and meetings. It also operates as a hotel, with 45 guest rooms available.[3][4]

  1. ^ Lee, Soyoung; Leidy, Denise Patry (2013). Silla : Korea's golden kingdom. Lee, Soyoung, 1971-, Leidy, Denise Patry,, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.),, Samsŏng Chŏnja,, National Endowment for the Arts,, Han'guk Kukche Kyoryu Chaedan. New York. p. 22. ISBN 9781588395023. OCLC 862096677.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ a b Chung, David; Oh, Kang-nam (2001-04-19). Syncretism: The Religious Context of Christian Beginnings in Korea. SUNY Press. ISBN 9780791449424.
  3. ^ "Hwangnyongwon". k-mice.visitkorea.or.kr. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
  4. ^ "황룡원". www.hwangnyongwon.com. Retrieved 2023-09-10.