Iksan Godo-ri Stone Standing Buddhas

About this place

The Iksan Godo-ri stone standing Buddhas consist of two stone statues facing each other about 200 meters apart, designated as a Treasure on January 21, 1963. They are carved into trapezoidal stone pillars with facial features, hands, and pedestal expressed. These are male and female statues facing each other about 200 meters apart. The body is a trapezoid stone pillar with no curves, and the arms are not shown, only the hands barely appearing on the abdomen. The head wears a tall square crown with another square hat on top. The square face has narrow eyes, a short nose, and a small mouth barely expressed. This folk-like guardian deity appearance makes them similar to tomb stone figures (seokinsang). In the Goryeo period, massive stone statues with extremely restrained body expressions were frequently made, and these are considered among such works. A legend is passed down about a pair of lovers: on the 12th lunar month, the two statues meet to share a year's worth of longing, and return to their places at the sound of the morning rooster.