Pohyonsa
Encyclopedia
Pohyon-sa is a Korean Buddhist temple located in Hyangsan
county in North Pyongan Province, North Korea
. It is located within the famous Myohyang Mountains. Founded under the Koryo dynasty at the start of the 11th century, the temple flourished as one of the greatest centers of Buddhism in the north of Korea, and became a renowned place of pilgrimage. Like most other temples in North Korea, the complex suffered extensive damage from US bombing during the Korean War
. The temple is designated as National Treasure
#40 in North Korea, with many of its component buildings and structures further declared as individual national treasures.
dynasty in 1024 and named for the buddhist deity Samantabhadra
(known as Pohyon Posal in Korean).
During the Imjin Wars, when Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi
ordered several attempted invasions of Korea, the temple became a stronghold for bands of warrior monks led by the great saint Sosan
. At age 73, he led bands against the Japanese armies, even assisting recapture Pyongyang from the Japanese. He died at the temple in 1604. During the war, the temple was charged with protection the Chonju
copy of the four Annals of the Yi Dynasty, which was secured in the nearby Puryong Hermitage. This copy was the only one to survive the war.
In 1951, at the start of the Korean War, the complex was bombed by US forces, who destroyed over half of its buildings, including the main prayer hall. Several have since been reconstructed.
Pohyon Temple was once entered through a series of three ceremonial gates, though visitors now enter through a gate at the temple's side. The outer gate, Jogye Gate , was built in 1644 and houses to Deva
statues; it is now closed to through traffic. Between this gate and Haetal Gate ' onMouseout='HidePop("19381")' href="/topics/Nirvana">Nirvana
"), the temple's middle gate, is a long, tree-lined path lined with commemorative stele detailing the temple's history. Some of these still bear shrapnel scars from the Korean War. The inner gate of Pohyon Temple is Chonwang Gate , Gate of the Four Heavenly Kings
"), which contains statues of the Buddhist deities of the same name.
Directly through Chonwang Gate is Manse Pavilion ' onMouseout='HidePop("47208")' href="/topics/Ten_thousand_years">Ten Thousand Years
"), a former meditation hall. Destroyed by American bombing in 1951, Manse Pavilion was reconstructed in 1979 out using concrete rather than its original wood. In front of the pavilion stands the nine-story Tabo Pagoda , erected in 1044 and designated National Treasure #7.
The main hall of the temple, Taeung Hall was also destroyed during the Korean War by U.S. bombing; reconstructed in 1976, it stands as faithful replica of the 1765 original. In the courtyard between it and Manse Pavilion stands the 13-storey Sokka Pagoda , erected in the 14th century and designated National Treasure #144.
To the right of Taeung Hall, and past a small garden, sits Kwanum Hall . Named after the bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara
(known as Guanyin in Chinese), Kwanum Hall was built in 1449 and is the oldest building in the temple compound. It is designated as National Treasure #57. To the east of this hall is Ryongsan Hall
In the northeast corner of the temple is the walled Suchung Shrine . Constructed in 1794, this small walled compound honors the priests who led bands of warrior monks to repel the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598. Inside, memorial services were once held for the great monk Sŏsan
, who once resided in this temple and was instrumental in driving out the invasion forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
. Inside the compound is a portrait hall, which contains paintings and relics related to three patriotic monks, and a Monument Pavilion, which houses a stele erected in 1796 to records Sŏsan's patriotic deeds. The compound is designated as National Treasure #143.
South of the shrine, on the east side of the lawn, is the temple archive, also known as Changgyong Pavilion . This is a modern structure, as the original library burned down during the US bombings of 1951. It houses a copy of the Tripitaka Koreana
, a UNESCO
-designated cultural relic; the original wooden printing blocks, however, are located at Haeinsa
.
Hyangsan
Hyangsan is a kun, or county, in North Pyongan province, North Korea. It was established, following the division of Korea, from portions of Nyongbyon county. The area of Myohyangsan mountain, which stands on the county's border, has been developed as a tourist destination...
county in North Pyongan Province, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. It is located within the famous Myohyang Mountains. Founded under the Koryo dynasty at the start of the 11th century, the temple flourished as one of the greatest centers of Buddhism in the north of Korea, and became a renowned place of pilgrimage. Like most other temples in North Korea, the complex suffered extensive damage from US bombing during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. The temple is designated as National Treasure
National treasures of North Korea
Designated national treasures of North Korea are tangible artifacts, sites, and buildings deemed to have significant historical or artistic value.-No. 1-50:-No. 51-100:-No. 101-150:-No...
#40 in North Korea, with many of its component buildings and structures further declared as individual national treasures.
History
Pohyon Temple was founded under the KoryoKoryo
Koryo may refer to:*The Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. It is spelt Koryŏ in McCune-Reischauer Romanization.*Koryo, a pumsae in Taekwondo.*Kōryō, Nara, a town in Japan.*Air Koryo, a North Korean airline company....
dynasty in 1024 and named for the buddhist deity Samantabhadra
Samantabhadra
Samantabhadra , is a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism associated with Buddhist practice and meditation. Together with Shakyamuni Buddha and fellow bodhisattva Manjusri he forms the Shakyamuni trinity in Buddhism...
(known as Pohyon Posal in Korean).
During the Imjin Wars, when Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
ordered several attempted invasions of Korea, the temple became a stronghold for bands of warrior monks led by the great saint Sosan
Sosan
Sosan may refer to:*Sengcan, a Chinese patriarch*Seosan, Chungnam, a city in South Korea....
. At age 73, he led bands against the Japanese armies, even assisting recapture Pyongyang from the Japanese. He died at the temple in 1604. During the war, the temple was charged with protection the Chonju
Jeonju
Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :...
copy of the four Annals of the Yi Dynasty, which was secured in the nearby Puryong Hermitage. This copy was the only one to survive the war.
In 1951, at the start of the Korean War, the complex was bombed by US forces, who destroyed over half of its buildings, including the main prayer hall. Several have since been reconstructed.
Composition
Pohyon temple features extensive grounds. While most of the important buildings are located along an axis centered on Taeung Hall, much of the center of the temple is taken up by a large lawn surrounded by various other halls and shrines. Of the temple's 24 pre-war buildings,Pohyon Temple was once entered through a series of three ceremonial gates, though visitors now enter through a gate at the temple's side. The outer gate, Jogye Gate , was built in 1644 and houses to Deva
Deva (Buddhism)
A deva in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share the characteristics of being more powerful, longer-lived, and, in general, living more contentedly than the average human being....
statues; it is now closed to through traffic. Between this gate and Haetal Gate ' onMouseout='HidePop("19381")' href="/topics/Nirvana">Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvāṇa ; ) is a central concept in Indian religions. In sramanic thought, it is the state of being free from suffering. In Hindu philosophy, it is the union with the Supreme being through moksha...
"), the temple's middle gate, is a long, tree-lined path lined with commemorative stele detailing the temple's history. Some of these still bear shrapnel scars from the Korean War. The inner gate of Pohyon Temple is Chonwang Gate , Gate of the Four Heavenly Kings
Four Heavenly Kings
In the Buddhist faith, the Four Heavenly Kings are four gods, each of whom watches over one cardinal direction of the world.The Kings are collectively named as follows:...
"), which contains statues of the Buddhist deities of the same name.
Directly through Chonwang Gate is Manse Pavilion ' onMouseout='HidePop("47208")' href="/topics/Ten_thousand_years">Ten Thousand Years
Ten thousand years
The use of the phrase "ten thousand years" in various East Asian languages originated in ancient China as an expression used to wish long life to the Emperor, and is typically translated as "long live" in English...
"), a former meditation hall. Destroyed by American bombing in 1951, Manse Pavilion was reconstructed in 1979 out using concrete rather than its original wood. In front of the pavilion stands the nine-story Tabo Pagoda , erected in 1044 and designated National Treasure #7.
The main hall of the temple, Taeung Hall was also destroyed during the Korean War by U.S. bombing; reconstructed in 1976, it stands as faithful replica of the 1765 original. In the courtyard between it and Manse Pavilion stands the 13-storey Sokka Pagoda , erected in the 14th century and designated National Treasure #144.
To the right of Taeung Hall, and past a small garden, sits Kwanum Hall . Named after the 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...
Avalokitesvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
(known as Guanyin in Chinese), Kwanum Hall was built in 1449 and is the oldest building in the temple compound. It is designated as National Treasure #57. To the east of this hall is Ryongsan Hall
In the northeast corner of the temple is the walled Suchung Shrine . Constructed in 1794, this small walled compound honors the priests who led bands of warrior monks to repel the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598. Inside, memorial services were once held for the great monk Sŏsan
Seosan
Little is known of the early life of Seosan Daesa other than that he was born in 1520 and that he became a monk. As was common for monks in this time, he travelled from place to place, living in a succession of monasteries...
, who once resided in this temple and was instrumental in driving out the invasion forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
. Inside the compound is a portrait hall, which contains paintings and relics related to three patriotic monks, and a Monument Pavilion, which houses a stele erected in 1796 to records Sŏsan's patriotic deeds. The compound is designated as National Treasure #143.
South of the shrine, on the east side of the lawn, is the temple archive, also known as Changgyong Pavilion . This is a modern structure, as the original library burned down during the US bombings of 1951. It houses a copy of the Tripitaka Koreana
Tripitaka Koreana
The Tripitaka Koreana or Palman Daejanggyeong is a Korean collection of the Tripitaka , carved onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century...
, a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
-designated cultural relic; the original wooden printing blocks, however, are located at Haeinsa
Haeinsa
Haeinsa is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in the Gaya Mountains , South Gyeongsang Province South Korea...
.
See also
- National Treasures of North KoreaNational treasures of North KoreaDesignated national treasures of North Korea are tangible artifacts, sites, and buildings deemed to have significant historical or artistic value.-No. 1-50:-No. 51-100:-No. 101-150:-No...
- Korean BuddhismKorean BuddhismKorean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new...
- Korean architectureKorean architectureKorean architecture refers to the built environment of Korea from c. 30,000 BC to the present.-Introduction:From a technical point of view, buildings are structured vertically and horizontally...