Three-story Stone Pagoda in Hwanam-ri, Yeongcheon

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 located in front of the main worship hall of Hangwangsa Temple is presumed to have been made after the 9th century during the Unified Silla period (668-935). During the Unified Silla period, it was a common practice to place two stone pagodas, called the East Pagoda and the West Pagoda, in front of the main worship hall of the temple. This pagoda was the West Pagoda. Only twelve stones from the East Pagoda remained, so it was built anew in 2010.

The pagoda consists of a two-tiered base, three sets of body and roof stones, and the partial remains of a decorative top. From 1980 to 1984, the pagoda was dismantled and reassembled, during which a stone statue of a seated buddha (Treasure) was discovered in the pagoda’s base.

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