Gyeongju Bulguksa Temple [UNESCO World Heritage]

This description was machine-translated from the Korea Tourism Organization's Korean original.

Bulguksa Temple was founded in the 15th year of the reign of King Beopheung of Silla, in accordance with his mother’s wishes, to pray for the peace of the nation and the well-being of the people. In 751, the 10th year of King Gyeongdeok, Prime Minister Kim Daeseong rebuilt the temple and established it at its present scale. However, through the Imjin War, most of the buildings and cultural heritage suffered the pain of being destroyed by fire or plundered. Until the 1920s, only some buildings and pagodas remained desolate, but through continuous restoration to the original form and repair work, it regained its present appearance. Today it stands as a great temple holding cultural heritage that includes seven National Treasures. On a ridge about 3 km from Bulguksa Temple lies Seokguram Grotto. At Seokguram, a seated Buddha (the principal image) facing the East Sea forms the centerpiece and is regarded as a masterpiece of the East. Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto were inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site on December 6, 1995. As a result, the two historic sites are recognized at home and abroad as the essence of Silla Buddhist culture.