Bukjangsa (Sangju)

About this place

Sangju was not only a great administrative center from ancient times but also the second capital of Silla and one of the eight mok of Goryeo; it is a region where Buddhist culture developed earlier than elsewhere, and historic old temples such as Gapjangsa, Seungjangsa, Namjangsa, and Bukjangsa remain here. Bukjangsa, located halfway up Cheonjusan Mountain in Bukjang-ri, Naeseo-myeon, Sangju-si, is a branch temple of Jikjisa, the head temple of the 8th diocese of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and is presumed to have been founded by the National Preceptor Jingam Hyeso during the Silla period. The present Bukjangsa was entirely destroyed during the Imjin War; in 1624 (the 2nd year of King Injo) about ten Tang monks came and rebuilt it, but it was destroyed again and rebuilt in 1628 (the 6th year of King Injo). The Geungnakbojeon houses an enormous 2-meter-tall wooden triad—Amitabha Buddha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva—created during the reign of King Sukjong, and these statues are regarded as important materials for the study of the history of 17th-century Buddhist sculpture. In addition, the gwaebultaeng (large hanging Buddhist painting), which legend says was painted by a bluebird, has been designated a Treasure, and the three-story stone pagoda of Bukjangsa, made during the Unified Silla period, has also been designated a Cultural Heritage Material of Gyeongsangbuk-do.