Geumdangsa
Encyclopedia
Geumdangsa or Geumdang Temple is a Korean Buddhist Temple in the Maisan (Horse Ear Mountain) in Jinan County, North Jeolla Province
South Korea
.
Maisan (Horse Ear Mountain) is part of the Maisan Provincial Park complex and visitors to the park frequently visit Geumdangsa on the way to, or from, the better known Tapsa
(Pagoda Temple) that lies to the northeast, up the path through the park.
Further up the path, past Lake Tapyeongje and Tapsa, is found the small temple of Eunsusa
in the park as well.
of the Silla Dynasty (57 BCE - 935 CE)
and is known as the place where the Goryeo
monk Naong Hwasang practiced his form of asceticism
. According to another account, the daughter of General Jeon Bong-jun
, who led the anti-establishment and anti-foreigner campaign Donghak Peasant Revolution
in 1894, sought refuge here.
The temple also served as a base for guerrilla troops in the Jinan area during the Japanese colonial period
.
Buddha is believed to have been first built during the Unified Silla
period (668-935).
The gentle facial expression and the plumpness of the body indicates that this image is likely from around 1675. The square face, the smaller shoulders, and the simple style of the robes are typical of Buddhist images of the late Joseon
period (1392-1910).
Bodhisattva
(Gwaneumbodhisavtta). This painting is a representative example of a hanging Buddhist painting, measuring 9 meters/30 feet high and 5 meters/16.4 feet wide.
Gwaneumbodhisavtta was painted by 3 artists in the 12th year of King Sukjong
in the Joseon Dynasty (1686).
Gwaneumbodhisavtta is adorned with a coronet decorated with several Buddha faces over lotus blossoms, surrounded by phoenixes on the left and right sides. Gwaneumbodhisavtta's form is depicted as small with a very large face when compared to the perportions of the body.
The the magnificently decorated robes, with splendid ornaments, patterns and shape, overwhelms the canvas. Scarlet is main color with the use of the greens, pinks and white colors producing the warm and soothing aura of the painting.
Surrounding Gwaeumbodhisavtta on the left and right are rows of magnificently colored flame-shaped patterns incorporating 20 small Buddhist gods.
Gwaneumbodhisavtta is depicted with hands holding branches of a Yonghwasu tree.
In the past whenever there was an extended drought in the area, the Geumdangsa monks would conduct prayer rituals appealing for rain in the presence of the painting, which invariably resulted in rainfall shortly thereafter.
Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
Maisan (Horse Ear Mountain) is part of the Maisan Provincial Park complex and visitors to the park frequently visit Geumdangsa on the way to, or from, the better known Tapsa
Tapsa
Tapsa and the Stone Pagodas of Mount Mai is a small Korean Buddhist Temple complex found in the Maisan in Jinan County, North Jeolla Province, South Korea.-Origins:...
(Pagoda Temple) that lies to the northeast, up the path through the park.
Further up the path, past Lake Tapyeongje and Tapsa, is found the small temple of Eunsusa
Eunsusa
Eunsusa is a small Korean Buddhist Temple that sits at the base of Sutmaibong , or Elephant Rock, in the Maisan in Jinan County, North Jeolla Province, South Korea....
in the park as well.
Origin
Geumdangsa was built in 814 during the reign of King HeondeokHeondeok of Silla
Heondeok of Silla was the 41st to rule the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the younger brother of King Soseong, and served as regent during the reign of Aejang....
of the Silla Dynasty (57 BCE - 935 CE)
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
and is known as the place where the Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
monk Naong Hwasang practiced his form of asceticism
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
. According to another account, the daughter of General Jeon Bong-jun
Jeon Bong-jun
Jeon Bong-jun was born in Taein, Jeollabuk-do, Korea. He was a prominent leader of the Donghak Peasant Revolution. Due to his short physical stature, he was called "Nokdu Janggun" .- Struggle and revolution :...
, who led the anti-establishment and anti-foreigner campaign Donghak Peasant Revolution
Donghak Peasant Revolution
The Donghak Peasant Revolution, also known as the Donghak Peasant Movement, was an anti-government, anti-feudal and anti-foreign uprising in 1894 in the southern Korea which was the catalyst for the First Sino-Japanese War....
in 1894, sought refuge here.
The temple also served as a base for guerrilla troops in the Jinan area during the Japanese colonial period
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
.
Tangible Cultural Properties #18
Geumdangsamokbuljwasang (Seated Buddha statue in Geumdangsa Temple). This AmitabhaAmitabha
Amitābha is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism...
Buddha is believed to have been first built during the Unified Silla
Unified Silla
Unified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
period (668-935).
The gentle facial expression and the plumpness of the body indicates that this image is likely from around 1675. The square face, the smaller shoulders, and the simple style of the robes are typical of Buddhist images of the late Joseon
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
period (1392-1910).
Cultural Properties Materials #122
Geumdangsaseoktap (Stone Pagoda of Geumdang Temple)Treasure #1266
Geumdangsa houses the hanging painting of the AvalokitesvaraAvalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
(Gwaneumbodhisavtta). This painting is a representative example of a hanging Buddhist painting, measuring 9 meters/30 feet high and 5 meters/16.4 feet wide.
Gwaneumbodhisavtta was painted by 3 artists in the 12th year of King Sukjong
Sukjong of Joseon
Sukjong was the 19th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1674 to 1720.- Biography :King Sukjong was born on 15 August 1661 to King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong at Changdeok Palace. His given name was Yi Sun...
in the Joseon Dynasty (1686).
Gwaneumbodhisavtta is adorned with a coronet decorated with several Buddha faces over lotus blossoms, surrounded by phoenixes on the left and right sides. Gwaneumbodhisavtta's form is depicted as small with a very large face when compared to the perportions of the body.
The the magnificently decorated robes, with splendid ornaments, patterns and shape, overwhelms the canvas. Scarlet is main color with the use of the greens, pinks and white colors producing the warm and soothing aura of the painting.
Surrounding Gwaeumbodhisavtta on the left and right are rows of magnificently colored flame-shaped patterns incorporating 20 small Buddhist gods.
Gwaneumbodhisavtta is depicted with hands holding branches of a Yonghwasu tree.
In the past whenever there was an extended drought in the area, the Geumdangsa monks would conduct prayer rituals appealing for rain in the presence of the painting, which invariably resulted in rainfall shortly thereafter.