The Three-story Stone Pagoda and Iljumun of Sinheungsa

[Curator]

Mount Soraksan is a favorite destination for endless visitors. They come to hear a thousand years of stories surrounded by beautiful scenery. The three-story stone pagoda at the Hyangseongsa Temple Site, Treasure No. 443, welcomes everyone before they arrive at the One Pillar Gate. It is said that Hyangseongsa Temple stood here originally. This is a typical stone pagoda of the Unified Silla period, with the main body stone built on two layers of foundation. It appears quite dignified, yet is also both simple and beautiful.

[Visitor]

Wow, it looks so beautiful. It is laid out very nicely.

[Curator]

On the contrary, the One Pillar Gate looks too plain. It said that the name, One Pillar Gate, is given to this type of gate because when you look at it from the side, the pillars look one as if there is only one, as they overlap perfectly. Normally, when constructing a house, four pillars are used to support the roof, but in a One Pillar Gate, only two or three pillars, placed in a straight line, are used to support the roof.
Among many gates of temples in mountains, the first one, the One Pillar Gate, holds the teaching that one should leave one’s worldly afflictions behind and step into the world of wisdom and enlightenment with a mind fully centered.