Stone Standing Buddha in Nongsan-ri, Geochang

This statue of Buddha is comparatively in an almost perfectcondition with nimbus and pedestal. The statue and nimbus are carved out of a single stone. The head of this statue has a tall and detailed topknot. The balanced features of its round face has a warm smile. Its tender shoulders, grand chest, narrow waist, slender legs, and realistic contours of the body add to the three dimensionality of this statue. The cloth draped over both shoulders hangs down in a U-shaped fold and it separates at the waist. It was further carved in a small U-shape, close to both thighs, and finished in a large V, at the calves.

This kind of sculpting technique is called the "style of King Udyana" of India. According to legend, while Sakyamuni Buddha rose to Doricheon to preach to his reincarnated mother, King Udyana of Bassa made a statue of Buddha in order to be consoled during his absence. During this time, the Buddha statue was carved in the same form as this statue. The statue currently held here is said to have been made using the same sculpting techniques as the statues during the Unified Silla period (668-935 A.D.). The flame patterns on the nimbus and the downward facing petals on the pedestal suggest that this Buddha dates to the era of Unified Silla.

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