East Three-story Stone Pagoda of Seongjusa Temple Site, Boryeong

A pagoda is a symbolic monument enshrining the relics or remains of the Buddha. Although not all pagodas contain the true remains, they are nonetheless worshiped as sacred places that enshrine the Buddha.

This pagoda is one of the four pagodas standing at the former site of Seongjusa Temple. It is presumed to have been built around the 9th century during the Unified Silla period (668-935) at the same time as the two pagodas to its left, namely the Central Three-story Stone Pagoda (Treasure) and the West Three-story Stone Pagoda (Treasure). These three pagodas are almost identical in terms of structure and construction technique, which suggests that they were made by the same group of artisans.

The pagoda consists of a two-tiered base and three sets of body and roof stones. The decorative top is missing. The bottom body stone features an engraved doorknob with a lock in the front and at the back, symbolically indicating that the pagoda enshrines the Buddha’s relics. The pagoda is made of nicely hewn stones and is well proportioned.

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