Bell Pavilion of Daegoksa Temple, Uiseong

This pavilion was built in the 17th century to house a large Buddhist bell. In Buddhist temples, large bronze bells are used to gather people for rituals and to announce the time. The sound of a bell is also a symbol of the Buddha’s teachings, which travel far and provide salvation. The bell originally housed in this pavilion is now kept at Yongmusa Temple in Yecheon.

The pavilion has a hip-and-gable roof supported by intricate support brackets. The brackets are installed atop both the pillars and the lintels. In the middle of each side, a flower-shaped decorative support is installed instead of a bracket. This kind of roof design is unique to the temples of the Uiseong area. The pillars below the main floor are made of roughly hewn logs that retain their natural curves. This demonstrates changes wood craftsmanship in the aftermath of the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598 when there was a shortage of wood.

Overall, the pavilion is well preserved in its original form and is a fine example of Buddhist architecture of the 17th century, which was a period of post-war revival for many temples in the area.

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