East Stele of Yeongoksa Temple, Gurye

These are the pedestal and capstone of a stele that was erected to honor the life and achievements of an eminent Buddhist monk. After a monk’s death, a stupa containing his remains was erected together with a stele in his honor. It is presumed that this stele was built in the Unified Silla period (668-935) together with the East Stupa. The body stone, which would have had an inscription recording the life and achiecements of the monk, is missing. Therefore, it is unknown to whom this stele was dedicated.

The tortoise-shaped pedestal has a dragon head with a wish-fulfilling jewel in its mouth. The back is carved with wings. In the middle of the pedestal, there is a rectangular platform, which is decorated with cloud and lotus patterns. The capstone is carved with clouds and five life-like dragons. The top of the capstone depicts a jewel surrounded by flames.

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