Artifacts Excavated from the Three-story Stone Pagoda of Pyochungsa Temple, Miryang

These Buddhist artifacts were excavated from inside the base of the Three-story Stone Pagoda of Pyochungsa Temple (Treasure) during repairs in 1995. They include 20 gilt-bronze buddha statues dating to the Unified Silla (668-935) and Goryeo (918-1392) periods, various ceremonial offerings, a record about the repair of the pagoda in 1491 during the Joseon period (1392-1910), coins from the late Joseon period, and small bronze pagoda fragments

The practice of enshrining buddha statues in pagodas was common in the 9th century when the pagoda was first built. However, it is rare to have so many buddha statues in a variety of shapes and designs collected together in one pagoda. This shows that the pagoda underwent numerous repairs over hundreds of years during which new items were additionally enshrined. Although some of the heads or pedestals of the statues are damaged, this rare collection is a valuable resource in the study of bronze Buddha statues, Buddhist offering rituals, and the repair practices of pagodas.

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