East Five-story Stone Pagoda of Hwaeomsa Temple, Gurye

In the courtyard in front of Daeungjeon Hall, there are two five-story stone pagodas made for enshrining the relics or remains of the Buddha. The two pagodas are presumed to have been made in the 9th century. They are similar in size and shape, but the east pagoda is simple without decoration, while the west pagoda features ornate carvings.

The east pagoda is composed of a one-tiered base, five sets of body and roof stones, and a round decorative top. The corners of the base and the body stones were carved to look like pillars, but apart from this, there are no other decorations. This lack of decoration represents having a pure heart. The one-tiered base symbolizes that “there is only one true teaching of the Buddha, and anybody can attain Buddhahood by following his teaching.”

In 1999, when the pagoda was dismantled and reassembled, various artifacts, including eight relics of Sakyamuni Buddha, were discovered inside the pagoda. These artifacts are kept in the temple’s museum.

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