Hwangnyongsa Temple that protected Silla

[Teacher]
Here we are at the site of Hwangnyongsa Temple. Although it no longer exists, the temple is known as the largest Buddhist temple from Silla.

[Student]
Really? I'm sorry that such a grand temple is gone. By the way, what does the name "Hwangnyong" mean?

[Teacher]
Hwangnyong refers to a yellow dragon. Originally, a royal palace was supposed to be built here.
But when the construction work was about to begin, a yellow dragon suddenly appeared to the site.
So the king thought it was a message form Buddha and decided to build a Buddhist temple instead of a royal palace.

[Student]
A temple of a yellow dragon... well, it sounds cool. But what happened to the temple? Why doesn't it exist now?

[Teacher]
The temple had been here even after the Silla Kingdom collapsed.
But it was destroyed by fire during a foreign invasion in the 13th century.
The famous 9-story pagoda in the temple was also burned down at that time.

[Student]
I see... and why did Silla build such a huge Buddhist temple?

[Teacher]
Well, you know that kings in the West often built large churches or cathedrals for certain purposes or to show off their power.
It was the same in the East. As Silla was a Buddhist kingdom, the king wished to strengthen his kingdom and unite the people with the help of Buddha.

[Student]
Oh, yes. In Silla, building a large temple was not just to promote a religion. Rather, it was a national project that served various political purposes, right?

[Teacher]
Exactly. Well, now shall we look at the site where the main building of the temple was located?
The site is where a number of foundation stones lie.