1. Flagpole Supports of Buseoksa Temple

[Teacher]
"These are the Flagpole Supports of Buseoksa Temple. These have been designated as Treasure No. 255.

[Student]
"What is a flagpole support? Is it like a guardian pole?

[Teacher]
"The flagpole support is a type of flagpole erected at the entrance of the temple. It is also called Chalgan, Janggan, Jeonggan, Gijang, Chigan, Beongan, and Beomjang. When there are events such as an assembly of monks or a prayer, the temple hoists a flag called the Dang at the entrance, and the pillar that holds the Dang is called the flagpole, while the flagpole support enables this flagpole to stand.”

[Student]
"Oh, it is used to hold a flag.”

[Teacher]
"The flagpole carries the meaning of Pasahyeonjeong. To break it down, it means destroying wrong principles of the way and revealing righteous truth.

[Student]
"Pasahyeonjeong... But I don't see a flag.”

[Teacher]
"Normally a flag is hung at the edge of the flagpole, but sadly, the flag is no longer available and there only remains the support that holds out the flagpole.

[Student]
"This flagpole support seems quite old.”

[Teacher]
"This flagpole support was built at the time of the foundation of Buseoksa Temple. Buseoksa Temple was built during the Silla Dynasty, so around 1,300 years has passed.”

[Student]
"That's amazing. 1300 years of history, and we are standing right in front of the evidence."

[Teacher]
“You could say that.”

[Man]
The two supports for the Flagpole Supports of Buseoksa Temple face each other towards the east and west at an interval of 1 meter. There is no decoration in the facing area. The front and rear sides are embossed with a 5.4 cm-wide line at the edges, and a 5.1 cm-wide line at the top connected to this line is embossed vertically. At the top of the two supports, a crescent-shaped line is drawn from the top of the inner side to the outer side, cut towards the outside with a single-layer curve.

[Woman]
The central striae on the front and back sides of this bend runs down, and the upper part contains a two-layered circular arc at the top in an inclined manner, and the side is decorated with a triple striae. The pole for securing the flagpole is designed to have only one pole hole, and a rectangular pole hole was dug into the top of the inner side in which to place the pole.

[Man]
The inner foundation of the two supports does not exist in a perfect condition, as there is only a stone foundation built of rectangular stone and mixed stones at the base. Given the exposure of the natural slabs at the bottom of the support and the currently constructed flagpole, it is estimated that a rectangular foundation was built.

[Woman]
There is a circular footstone between the two supports, which indicates that it is a bamboo pole, and it is composed of one stone with a circle seat made on the square lantern pedestal. There are border decorations and lotus designs around the circle seat, and a 30 cm-diameter hole is drilled in the center of the upper part to support the base of the flagpole. Based on the elegant carving techniques employed for each part, it is estimated to have been made around the 9th century during the Unified Silla Period.