###### South Korea is a country with a huge historical heritage. To me, this country is a museum. Past pieces can be found in various angles. And many of these attractions are centuries old.
###### The State handles every historical value, making a lot of effort for their recovery and protection. And one of the places where the restoration was recently completed, is the Buddhu temple of Bulguksa.
*The State handles every historical value, making a lot of effort for their recovery and protection. And one of the places where the restoration was recently completed, is the Buddhu temple of Bulguksa.*
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<CENTER> *Entrance to the temple*.
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* Pulgus Temple (불국사) is located in the ancient capital of South Korea - in Gyeongju City. I already told about this city in my article. It is one of the most ancient Buddhist temples in South Korea. According to the country's history of the three countries "Samguk Yusa", the temple was built in 528, when there were three great countries on the Korean peninsula: Koguryo, Silla and Baekje. Pulgux Temple was built in the state of Silla.
The temple was rebuilt and restored. After all, it's no secret that in Korea, like the rest of the world, wars are frequent among tribes, neighboring settlements, states.
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In the period 1592 to 1598, Korea was attacked by the Japanese. The Imjin War began, leaving a deep imprint on the country's history, which is still remembered to this day. This war not only claimed thousands of lives, but also destroyed many historical monuments. There are still traces of the war and at the Temple of Pulgux, much of the wooden construction of the temple was burned.
After the end of the war, in 1604, an order was given to restore the church. For 200 years, the temple has changed a lot. In 1910, the annexation of Japan began in Korea, where the temple restoration was continued by Japanese specialists and workers. But the job is not finished yet. Korea has been under Japanese annexation for about 35 years.
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The modern view of the Pulgux temple was received during the reign of former South Korean President Pak Jong-hee.
Two stone steps lead to the entrance to the temple (lower Chongungyo and upper Pagungyo) from 33 steps, which represents 33 steps towards enlightenment.
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One of the main features of the temple is the pagoda, which is two in the temple. Usually, in Buddhist temples there is only one pagoda.
The Sokkatkhap Pagoda consists of 3 levels and a height of 8.2 meters. And the second Tabotkhap pagoda or, as it is also called, the Treasure Pagoda has an unusual design and a height of 10.4 m.
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For the pagoda is the main hall Bulguksa - Teundzhon, which means Hall of enlightenment, which was rebuilt in 681 .. this alley - sacred Sakyamuni.
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At the temple there is also a hall of Musoljon silence. In Buddhism it is said that Buddhism should be transmitted not only in words. The hall was built in 670.
Sokkuram Cave (석굴암)
Visiting the Bulguksa temple, it is impossible to ignore the artificial cave of Sokkuram, which is at 750 meters altitude.
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The construction of the cave began in 742 under the Silla dynasty. Then the temple was called Sogpulsa, which means a stone Buddhist Temple. The construction of the temple is 32 years old.
Culture of Buddha carvings on the rocks came to Korea from China. In general, Chinese culture has a major influence on Korean development. Until now, in Korean culture, you can see some features of Chinese culture and tradition. If you believe in chronic history, then the Chinese also bring Buddhism to Korea.
It is believed that Sokkuram is the symbol of the journey of the soul to Nirvana. Buddhists believe that the front hall of the cave is earth, and the main hall is the sky. Therefore, the pilgrims, beginning with the Buddhist temple at Pulgux, go to the cave.
In the main hall of Sokkuram is a statue of a Buddha sitting sitting in a lotus pose. In the stone panels around the statue are depicted various gods that protect and keep the temple.
In the XVII century, when the Joseon Dynasty came to power, the Sokkuram cave was slightly rebuilt and restored.
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Temple of Hwannöns (황룡사)
Speaking of Buddhist temples in Gyeongju city, we can not say about the Hwyannos temple. This is the "Temple of the Golden Dragon," which was once the center of Buddhism in the state of Silla. The temple occupies a very large area, the total area of slightly more than 380 thousand square meters. And the temple wall was almost 290 meters high. In general, in the state of Silla attached great importance to Buddhism, so the construction of the temple is overseen by the royal family itself.
At 533 on the site of the temple was planned to build a palace, but in this place the golden dragon appeared, so the construction of the palace was moved to another place, and in the place where the dragon appeared, the construction of Hwannöns begins. First build a wooden pagoda on the 9th floor. Someone says that 9 floors means 9 Asian countries. The construction of the temple lasted almost a century. At the end of the 6th century, golden Buddha statues were thrown, 5.2 meters tall, and weighed over 27 tons. Unfortunately, in 1238, the entire temple, like a Buddha statue, was destroyed during the Mongol invasion.
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To preserve the memory of the pagoda, has just completed the reconstruction of the pagoda. The Gyeongju City Government re-created all 9 floors of the sacred tower. And also, in the city of Gyeongju built a glass building, its center resembles a nine-story pagoda. The building was built for the preparation of Gyeongju Expo.
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