Three-story Stone Pagoda at Wollamsa Temple Site, Gangjin

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 three-story stone pagoda is presumed to date to the Goryeo period (918-1392). It is about 8.3m in height and is made of over 170 hewn stones.

It consists of a one-tiered base, three body and roof sections, and part of a decorative top. The base is relatively short compared to the body sections. The roof sections consist of relatively thin and flat stones that are stacked in tiers to resemble the roof of a traditional wooden building.

Excavations in the 2010s revealed the site of another pagoda to the west of this one, as well as the site of the main worship hall to the north. This layout, consisting of a pair of pagodas in front of the main worship hall, is typical of Buddhist temples built in the Unified Silla period (668-935) and is unusual for a temple dating to the Goryeo period.

In 2017, the pagoda was dismantled for renovation, during which a bronze bottle was discovered inside the third-story body section, Inside the bottle were grains of rice and small animal bones, which were carbon dated to the turn of the Goryeo and Joseon (1392-1910) periods.

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