Andong Icheondong in South Korea

Andong Icheondong in South Korea has become a famous tourist spot as one of the major historic sites. The awe-inspiring Buddha statue stands on an ancient path staring out over the mountains of the area at Jebiwon which was a rest place for travelers on their way to or from the Sobaek Mountains. The 2.43-meter-high head of granite Buddha rests on top of a 9.95-meter-high and 7.72-meter-wide stone outcropping engraved with the Buddha's body.

Features of Andong Icheondong in South Korea

  -   In the earliest days of Buddhism in Korea in the fourth and fifth centuries, the Maiterya Buddha was an inspiration and widely represented throughout the provinces.
  -   During the Goryeo Kingdom, these Maiterya or Mireuk Buddhas were raised at the entrances of mountains and villages.
  -   They were made independent of temples and were considered as spiritual landmarks rather than spiritual centers.
  -   The Jebiwon Temple has been built near the statue, so the statue has been is also known as Jebiwan Seokbul or the stone statue.
  -   The temple took five years to build and the legend has it that on the final day of construction, one of the builders accidentally fell off the roof and died.
  -   The worker's soul turned into a swallow and flew away.
  -   The rest stop was thus named Jebiwon after this legend, since 'Jebi' means swallow in Korean.
  -   The Buddha statue, with its distinctive contouring, is in the style of Goryeo (AD 918-1392) Dynasty.
  -   This style of outline on a rock indicates that the statue dates from the around the 11th Century.
  -   It was designated National Treasure No. 115 on January 21, 1963.
  -   There are several fascinating legends associated with the Buddha statue.
  -   One local story maintains that a Japanese general during his country's invasion of Korea in the late 16th century, beheaded the Jebiwon Buddha with his sword.
  -   Another legend is that the Jebiwon stone Buddha gazed across the valley to a pine forest where it saw the Seongju god in the trees.
  -   The Jebiwon Buddha told Seongju to enter people's homes to protect them and bless them.