Stone Lantern in Balsan-ri, Gunsan

A stone lantern is placed in Buddhist temples to be used for light offerings to the Buddha. It is typically placed in front of the main worship hall or a pagoda.

This stone lantern in Balsan-ri is presumed to date to the Unified Silla period (668-935). It was moved to its current location during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) by a Japanese man named Shimatani Yasoya who operated farms in the Gunsan area. It is said to have been taken from the site of a Buddhist temple in Wanju, Jeollabuk-do Province, together with the five-story stone pagoda behind it.

The stone lantern consists of a base engraved with lotus designs, a rectangular pillar with rounded corners, a light chamber with four openings, and an octagonal roof stone. All that remains of the lantern's decorative top is its base which is decorated with lotus designs. The pillar is engraved with images of dragons rising in the clouds and is the only example of this design found on a stone lantern in Korea. Engraved on the corners of the light chamber are images of the Four Guardian Kings, who are guardian deities that protect the Buddha and his teachings.

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