Disappoints often lead to something good as we were soon to find out. Deeply disappointed after our visit to the Silla Arts and Science Museum, we proceed to the ancient Bunhwangsa temple.
Nestled in the midst of a thicket of leaf-less trees, the Bunhwangsa temple spoke of an indescribable charm when we first set our eyes on it!
Bunhwangsa literally means Fragrant Emperor Temple. The temple complex dates back to the Silla era and was built in 634 by Queen Seondeok. In its heydays, the temple covered several acres and was one of the four main temples of the Silla Kingdom used by the state to seek blessings for the kingdom...
The temple is shaped like a pagoda and is modeled on temples from the Tang Dynasty in China. However, Silla architects used stones of black andesite cut into blocks, like bricks. It is believed that the temple once stood seven or nine stories in height, but today, only three tiers of the pagoda remain...
"Mighty Diamond Men" guarding the doorway with debris from collapsed levels above clearly visible...
The temple and its surroundings were incredibly beautiful, speaking of the grandeur of the bygone era...
The pedestal of a column that was erected in honour of an ancient Buddhist priest. The column isn't there anymore...
Another pedestal...
The standing Buddha known as the Yaksayeorae, built in 1774, during the reign of King Yeongjo...
The Hogukyongbyeoneojeong or Samnyongbyeoneojeong is the upper part of an octagonal well...
Some more pedestals...
It is an icy cold day today...
Beauty in starkness...
And it's time to move...
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