Gyeongju Namsan Bulgok Rock-carved Buddha

Hello, the oldest stone Buddha in Namsan Mountain in Gyeongju, known as the Three Kingdoms Period, is located in Bulgok, southeastern Gyeongju.

In the southeastern mountain of Gyeongju, a treasure trove of world heritage, the valley with huge rocks depicting the nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangnyongsa Temple, which is said to have been built by Queen Seondeok of Silla, is called Tapgok, and the valley right next to the pagoda is Bulgok.

If you drive a little along the narrow road along Namcheon, which suddenly curves from the north of Namsan Mountain in Gyeongju to the east, you will see a valley on a gentle slope to the right. Among the stone Buddhas in Namsan, Gyeongju, there is a seated statue of Namsan Bulgok Rock-carved Buddha, which is said to be in the best-preserved state and the age of its creation.

When you exit the bamboo forest, you will see a granny stone Buddha carved in the rock.

It is said that the stone Buddha with a common face carved in a huge rock between bamboo forests has been familiar to locals since ancient times, considered as a Buddha like a friendly grandmother and is called Halmae Buddha. And it is said that this stone Buddha was right in this valley, so it was named Buddha Valley, or Bulgok.

This stone Buddha is a stone Buddha carved 1.4m high by digging 1.7m high, 1.2m wide, and 60cm deep in a rock about 3m high, and is said to be a valuable resource for the study of World Heritage Seokguram Rock, one of the essential courses in Gyeongju. It is also presumed to be a stone Buddha in the late Silla period in the 7th century from the style of sculpture.

Dongnamsan Mountain in Gyeongju is near National Route 7 heading to Bulguksa Temple, so if you have time, why don’t you take a step here and enjoy Silla Buddhist art, which is not well known.

location
san 56 Inwang-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
56, Inhyuk-dong, Gyeongsang-bukdo

Treasure No. 198