Buddhist Altar at Baekheungam Hermitage of Eunhaesa Temple, Yeongcheon

A Buddhist altar is used in the main hall of a temple for enshrining buddha statues. This Buddhist altar is decorated with designs symbolizing Mount Meru, which, according to the Buddhist view of the cosmos, is situated in the middle of the world. Mount Meru is said to be about 1,082,000km tall, hence, putting a buddha statue atop a Buddhist altar, which represents this mountain, means that the Buddha resides at the highest place in the world.

This Buddhist altar is presumed to have been made around 1643, when Geungnakjeon Hall was rebuilt. It is made of wood and has five levels. The top level has the shape of a table and is separated from the rest. The second level from the top represents the sky inhabited by phoenixes, peacocks, and cranes. The third level from the top represents waters inhabited by carps, dragons, and mermaids. The fourth level from the top represents land inhabited by elephants, lions, and mythical creatures called girin. At the bottom is the fifth level, which has carved depictions of goblin faces at the far left and right, and dragons in the middle.

It was designated a treasure in 1968.

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