Two sites, one mountain
Bulguksa is a temple, and Seokguram is a stone grotto shrine above it. Both stand on the slopes of Mount Toham, close to Gyeongju in southeastern Korea, the former capital of the Silla kingdom. They were jointly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 as Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple, and they are often described as masterpieces of Silla Buddhist art. The site is one of the most visited in the country, so it can be crowded at weekends and in holiday seasons.
Origins in the Silla period
According to tradition, work began in the middle of the eighth century under the minister Kim Daeseong, and continued after his death. The date often given for the start is 751, with completion in the 770s. As with many early foundations, a temple of some kind may have stood on the site before that, and the exact sequence is not fully documented. The names mean roughly “Buddha Land Temple” for Bulguksa and “Stone Cave Hermitage” for Seokguram.
Gyeongju at that time was a major centre of Buddhist devotion, and the royal court supported temple building on a large scale. The layout at Bulguksa is generally read as an attempt to express a Buddha land in earthly form, a place where visitors move from the human world toward a realm of awakening.
What stands at Bulguksa today
Wooden temple buildings are vulnerable to fire. Bulguksa’s timber halls were burned in the late sixteenth century, during the Japanese invasions of Korea, and the temple was rebuilt and altered several times afterward. The major modern restoration took place in the twentieth century. The present wooden halls therefore follow the old plan but are not original eighth-century timber. The stone elements, by contrast, are much older.
Among the best-known features are:
- The stone staircases and bridges. Raised stone stairways lead up toward the main halls. Their names refer to the blue cloud and white cloud, a poetic image of rising from the everyday world into the Buddha’s realm.
- Two pagodas in the main courtyard. Dabotap, the Many Treasures Pagoda, is ornate and complex. Seokgatap, the Shakyamuni Pagoda, is plain and balanced. They are commonly connected with the Lotus Sutra, in which the Buddha Prabhutaratna appears in a jewelled stupa to affirm the teaching of Shakyamuni. The contrast between decoration and simplicity is part of what visitors notice.
- Halls dedicated to different Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Main buildings are devoted to Shakyamuni, Amitabha and Vairocana, among others, and each has its own courtyard.
The inside of Seokgatap is also associated with a notable discovery. In the 1960s, when the pagoda was being repaired, a woodblock-printed Buddhist text was found inside. Scholars have studied it as one of the earliest surviving printed texts in East Asia, though its exact date and origin continue to be discussed.
The Seokguram grotto
A path leads uphill from Bulguksa to Seokguram, which looks over the sea on clear days. The grotto is an artificial stone chamber built of granite and covered with earth, giving the impression of a cave temple, although it is not carved from living rock as some Indian cave temples are. A short approach leads to a rectangular front space and then a round main chamber under a domed ceiling.
At the centre sits a large seated Buddha, usually identified as Shakyamuni at the moment of awakening, with the right hand touching the earth. The expression is calm and the proportions are carefully worked out; discussion of the geometry and its possible meaning is long-standing, and some of the claims made in popular writing are speculative. Around the walls are relief carvings of guardian figures, bodhisattvas and disciples. The way a Buddha image is shown in Buddha iconography, and the meaning of the earth-touching gesture within Buddha mudras, help in reading these figures.
Because the grotto’s climate is delicate, a glass wall or similar protective measures have at various times limited how close visitors may go. Rules about interior viewing and photography change, so follow posted signs.
Why the sites are valued
The reasons usually given are artistic and historical. The stonework shows a high level of skill in granite, the plan expresses Buddhist ideas in built form, and the pairing of a temple with a mountain shrine reflects the importance of landscape. They are also seen as a high point of Silla culture, and as a link to Silla’s contacts across East Asia, in the spirit of Silk Road Buddhism.
Visiting respectfully
Bulguksa is a working temple, with a resident community, even though it receives very many tourists. Dress modestly, keep your voice low, and remove shoes where required. If you are unsure about the right behaviour toward monks, ask or follow what others do, and consult guidance on pilgrimage etiquette in general. Opening hours, entrance fees, access to Seokguram and any limits on the number of visitors change, so check current official sources before travelling.