Mireuksa Temple Site in South Korea

Mireuksa was the largest Buddhist temple in the ancient Korean kingdom of Baekje, which fell in the 7th century. Its site was excavated in 1980 in Iksan City, North Jeolla Province. Many hitherto unknown facts about Baekje architecture were disclosed during the excavation. The stone pagoda at Mireuksa Temple Site in South Korea is one of two extant Baekje pagodas. It is also the largest as well as being among the oldest of all Korean pagodas.

Legend behind the Mireuksa Temple Site in South Korea

The story of the foundation of Mireuksa Temple Site in South Korea, the greatest Buddhist temple in the kingdom of Baekje, is written in the history book about the Three Kingdoms entitled. The legend of the creation of Mireuksa is told in the Samguk Yusa.

The legend noted in the Samgukyusa has it that one day King Mu and his wife were hiking up Mt. Yonghwa (presently known as Mt. Mireuk) on their way to visit a priest named Jimyong. Suddenly, Miruksamjon emerged from a large pond. The King promptly had the pond drained to establish the Mireuksa Temple Site in South Korea. It was built with a palatial main hall, pagodas, and cardinal corridors in the compound. The nine-storey wooden pagoda that once stood in the center of the complex is said to have been the work of Baekje master craftsman Abiji. The legends about the foundation of Mireuksa Temple Site in South Korea found in the Samgukyusa are thought to be true, based on several excavations reveal that the soil conditions of the site, which was reclaimed from the pond, are the same as those of the mountain. The excavations also reveal that the temple consisted of 3 parts.

Besides the legend of King Mu and Princess Seonhwa, there is a different view of how Mireuksa Temple Site in South Korea came to being. It is believed that Baekje Kingdom built Mireuksa in Geumma, the center of Mahan tribal influence, in order to expand its national power. Regardless of how the Mireuksa Temple Site in South Korea came to existence, the temple is estimated to have exhibited the cultural talents such as the architecture and the fine arts of the Baekje period.

Designated South Korean Historic Site No. 150, Mireuksa Temple Site in South Korea has been partially restored and now includes a museum.