Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda
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36°00′44″N 127°01′46″E / 36.0123353°N 127.0295236°E
| Stone Pagoda at Mireuksa Temple Site, Iksan 益山 彌勒寺址 石塔 | |
|---|---|
익산 미륵사지 석탑 | |
 Iksan Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda after restoration | |
| Location | |
| Location | Giyang-ri, Geumma-myeon, Iksan, North Jeolla Province |
| Country | South Korea |
 Interactive map of Stone Pagoda at Mireuksa Temple Site, Iksan 益山 彌勒寺址 石塔 | |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | King Mu of Baekje |
| Completed | 600~640 |
| Website | |
| http://iksan.museum.go.kr/ | |
| Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda | |
| Hangul | 익산 미륵사지 석탑 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 益山 彌勒寺址 石塔 |
| Revised Romanization | Iksan Mireuksaji Seoktap |
| McCune–Reischauer | Iksan Mirŭksaji Sŏkt'ap |
Iksan Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda (Korean: 익산 미륵사지 석탑; Hanja: 益山 彌勒寺址 石塔) is located in the former temple Mireuksa, Geumma-myeon, Iksan, North Jeolla Province, and is the oldest stone pagoda remaining in Korea. It is designated as the 11th national treasure.[1][2]
This stone pagoda, built in 639 during the reign of King Mu,[3] is called the primitive style(始原形式) of Baekje pagoda, and in many ways it is the starting point of the entire pagoda in Korea.[3] At the time of dismantling, the height was 14.2m, which is the largest stone pagoda in Korea, and is estimated to be 9 stories originally based on extant materials. This stone pagoda realized the wooden pagoda architecture in stone and reflects the appearance and style of Baekje wooden pagoda.[3][4]
In 639, the site of Mireuksa was built during the late Baekje. It is the oldest and largest remaining stone pagoda in Korea. It is an important cultural property that faithfully shows the process of transitioning from wooden tower to stone pagoda.[5][2]
This stone pagoda is called the primitive style of Baekje Stone Pagoda. In many ways, it is considered to be the starting point of the whole Korean pagoda. This stone pagoda with granite is unlike the Silla style pagoda. It is a pile of multi-storied pagoda of three sides in the base of a square partitioned by a gravel stone.[5][2]
Most of the western side and the southern side, and about half of the northern side are collapsed, and the number of floors is only up to 6th floor. Restoration took place to repair the pagoda.[6] The extensive restoration process included removing the concrete support applied on the tower during Japanese colonization.
The complete reconstruction of the long-gone East Pagoda, another stone pagoda which once stood at Mireuksa alongside the remaining stone pagoda (also called the West Pagoda), was finished in 1993 based on its counterpart's architecture. The reconstruction began in 1991 under the supervision of the Cultural Properties Bureau at the time of the Roh Tae Woo administration. The stone pagoda of Mireuksaji was once claimed to have had 7 floors originally, but during restoration, a supplementary material was found to indicate that the pagoda had 9 floors.[6][2] The East Pagoda was rebuilt to have 9 floors accordingly and completed in 1993. However, the legitimacy of the reconstruction is still in dispute.
Structure
The short, single-stepped base of the pagoda is similar to the style of a wooden pagoda. The body of the pagoda was divided into three spaces on each side of the first floor, and a door was made in the middle of the room. Inside the center is a huge square pillar. On the first floor, four pillars were erected on each corner which demonstrate entasis, also used in Korean wooden architecture, featuring a narrow top and bottom in contrast to a convex center. On the pillars, pyeongbang and changbang were installed, which are the components that connect two pillars in wooden architecture. The roof slope is thin and wide, and it is raised up to four corners and raised slightly. From the second floor, the top becomes shallow, the expression of each part is simplified, and the roof is also reduced in width than the first floor.[5][2]
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