Stele for the Construction of Amitabha Buddha at Mujangsa Temple Site, Gyeongju

This stele records in detail the process of the creation of a statue of Amitabha Buddha to be enshrined at Mujangsa Temple which was sponsored by Queen Consort Gyehwa in memory of her late husband King Soseong (r. 799-800) of the Silla kingdom (57 BCE-935 CE). It is believed that all beings who call the name of Amitabha while reflecting on his meritorious virtues can be reborn in the Buddhist paradise of the West. The stele is presumed to have been erected in 801.

Part of the stele body stone were found broken into pieces in 1914. These original pieces of the stele are kept at the National Museum of Korea, and based on these remains, a new body stone was erected in 2011. The stele’s capstone is partially damaged on the right side. It is engraved with depictions of two dragons holding a wish-fulfilling jewel in the center with their claws. In the recessed square in the center is an inscription which is partially illegible but says “Amitabha Buddha.” The stele’s pedestal is carved to depict a pair of tortoises, though their heads are broken. Atop them is a rectangular base into which the stele is placed. The sides and corners of the rectangular base are carved to resemble pillars, between which are the 12 animals of the zodiac. It is rare to see the zodiac animals on a tortoise pedestal.

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