Wooden Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Triad and Ten Underworld Kings of Jeondeungsa Temple, Ganghwa

A total of 31 sculptures, including Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva triad and Ten Underworld Kings, are enshrined in Myeongbujeon Hall. Ksitigarbha is known as the Bodhisattva of Great Vows, who took on the responsibility of rescuing unfortunate beings from hell and vowed to postpone Buddhahood until all beings are saved from the world of suffering. The Ten Underworld Kings preside over the judgment of the dead. According to a written vow found inside the Ksitigarbha statue, all these statues were made in 1636 by 12 sculptor-monks and four believers under the supervision of Monk Suyeon.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is seated in the middle of the altar. The statue demonstrates perfectly balanced proportions and outstanding craftsmanship. To his left and right are the statues of a sage monk Daoming and Demon King Wudu. Monk Daoming was a Chinese monk who is said to have accidentally experienced the afterlife and returned to the world of the living to teach about what he had seen. Demon King Wudu is believed to expel the evil from people’s hearts. Located symmetrically on either side of the altar are the statues of the Ten Underworld Kings, judges, ghost kings, officials, child attendants, and the wrathful guardians. In 2010 and 2011, a number of relics were found inside the statues of Ksitigarbha and Ten Underworld Kings, which included Buddhist scripts, written vows, and containers of votive objects.

The seated Sakyamuni Buddha triad (Treasure) enshrined in Daeungbojeon Hall was also made by Monk Suyeon. These statues in Myeongbujeon Hall were made 10 years after the triad, and thus exhibit the fully matured and distinctive beauty of Suyeon’s work.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08