Stele of Bongseon Honggyeongsa
Encyclopedia
The Stele of Bongseon Honggyeongsa Temple was designated as the seventh National Treasure of Korea on December 12, 1962.
The Bongseon Honggyeongsa Temple was built in 1021 during the reign of King Hyeonjong
who built the temple in accordance with the wishes of his father King Anjong and because he was inspired by the Lotus Sutra
. "Bongseon", which means "In Reverence of Father's Wishes”, was added to the name of the temple. The stele commemorates the construction of the temple which was set up in 1026 CE, five years after the temple was constructed. The stele is all that remains of the temple.
The inscription of the stele was composed by Choi Chung also known as Haedonggongja, one of the greatest Confucian scholars and writers during the Goryeo
Dynasty, and the calligraphy, in semi-cursive style, was done by Baek Hyeonrye. The inscription describes the foundation of the temple.
The stone stele rests on a pedestal shaped like a tortoise
. The dragon-heads of the pedestal are facing the side instead of the front, a style that has often been used in East Asian stele. The head is also carved with fin-like wings that give the head the impression of dynamism and motion. The body of the stele is capped with a stone that is rounded and shows a dragon in the clouds.
The stele is currently located in Seonghwan-eup, Cheonan City
in South Chungcheong
province.http://www.cheonan.go.kr/english/02/sub_01.asp
The Bongseon Honggyeongsa Temple was built in 1021 during the reign of King Hyeonjong
Hyeonjong of Goryeo
Hyeonjong of Goryeo was the 8th ruler of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He was a grandson of Emperor Taejo. He was appointed by the military leader Gang Jo, whom the previous Emperor Mokjong had called upon to destroy a plot by Kim Chi-yang.In 1010, The Khitan attacked again during an internal...
who built the temple in accordance with the wishes of his father King Anjong and because he was inspired by the Lotus Sutra
Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established.-Title:...
. "Bongseon", which means "In Reverence of Father's Wishes”, was added to the name of the temple. The stele commemorates the construction of the temple which was set up in 1026 CE, five years after the temple was constructed. The stele is all that remains of the temple.
The inscription of the stele was composed by Choi Chung also known as Haedonggongja, one of the greatest Confucian scholars and writers during the Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
Dynasty, and the calligraphy, in semi-cursive style, was done by Baek Hyeonrye. The inscription describes the foundation of the temple.
The stone stele rests on a pedestal shaped like a tortoise
Bixi (tortoise)
Bixi , also called guifu or baxia , is a stone tortoise, used as a pedestal for a stele or tablet. Tortoise-mounted stelae have been traditionally used in the funerary complexes of Chinese emperors and other dignitaries. Later, they have also been used to commemorate an important event, such as...
. The dragon-heads of the pedestal are facing the side instead of the front, a style that has often been used in East Asian stele. The head is also carved with fin-like wings that give the head the impression of dynamism and motion. The body of the stele is capped with a stone that is rounded and shows a dragon in the clouds.
The stele is currently located in Seonghwan-eup, Cheonan City
Cheonan
Cheonan is a city located in the northeast corner of South Chungcheong, a province of South Korea, and is 83.6 km south of the capital, Seoul...
in South Chungcheong
Chungcheongnam-do
Chungcheongnam-do or Chungnam is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong Province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea...
province.http://www.cheonan.go.kr/english/02/sub_01.asp