Stone Seated Amitabha Buddha of Sinheungsa Temple in Ulsan

This gilded stone statue enshrined in Daeungjeon Hall of Sinheungsa Temple was made in 1649 by the monk artisan Yeongsaek and depicts Amitabha Buddha as the principal buddha of a Buddhist triad. It is believed that al lbeings who call the name of Amitabha while reflecting on his meritorious virtues can be reborn in the Buddhist paradise of the West.

Amitabha is portrayed in a seated position with a short upper body, broad crossed legs, and thick knees. His square face, upwardly slanting long eyes, small and prominent nose, creases carved deeply around the lips, and prominent chin convey an overall gentle and unique appearance. His left hand rests facing upward on his left knee with the thumb extended in a straight line across palm, while his right hand rests downward on his right knee with the middle and ring fingers bent, which is a rather unusual hand gesture.

Discovered inside this statue were various deposited relics, including one written vow, one container of votive objects, seven pieces of fabric, and one jewel. According to the written vow, the statue was carved of zeolite stone from today's Ocheon-eup, Pohang, and then moved to Sinheungsa Temple via boat.

With the identity of the artist, the year of creation, the creation process, and the origin of the raw materials all recorded in detail, this stone Buddhist statue is of great value in the areas of Buddhist sculpture history and art. The statue and its excavated relics were thus jointly designated as a Treasure in 2021.

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