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Location43, Mireukgol-gil Haengan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryCultural Heritage / Tangible Cultural Heritage
- Korean용화사 미륵불입상
- Chinese龍華寺彌勒佛立像
- Nickname부안 용화사 미륵불입상|용화사 석불입상
- FieldReligion / Buddhism
- Contents TypeArtifact / Buddhist Statue
- Current Location43, Mireukgol-gil Haengan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Original Location43, Mireukgol-gil Haengan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Definition
- A standing Buddha statue of the Goryeo period, located at Yonghwasa Temple in Yeok-ri, Haengan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
- Summary
- The Stone standing Maitreya Buddha of Yonghwasa Temple, which is located on a hill behind the temple, was designated as Jeollabuk-do Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 171 on September 9, 1999. Although it is known to be a statue of the Maitreya Buddha that was originally located at Mireuksa Temple (founded by Monk Myoryeon of Baekje in 642, the 2nd year of the reign of King Uija), it does not exhibit the typical features of such statues.
- Forms
- This statue of the Buddha standing upright, with his sleeved hands placed across his stomach, is 4.5 meters tall, and consists of a stone pillar-type body with a round finial ornament on the top of his head. The Buddha’s square face is characterized by large features including ears, half-open almond-shaped eyes, mouth, and nose. There is no urna (a spiral or circular dot placed on the forehead of Buddhist images as an auspicious mark), but the samdo lines, i.e. the three paths a Buddhist must follow to attain enlightenment, are clearly expressed on the Buddha’s neck. Compared to the large face, his body looks rather weak. His robe, which covers both shoulders, is expressed in a very simple, compact graphic style, while his inner garment – a feature rarely seen on other similar statues - has a v-shaped neckline.
Just in front of the statue is a large well-trimmed stone measuring 228 centimeters in width and 210 centimeters in length, with a square hole carved in the middle, which is believed to be its pedestal.
- Characteristics
- Although the temple refers to the stone Buddha of Yonghwasa Temple as the Maitreya Buddha, there is no real proof that it is. However, as another stone Buddha placed outside the temple has long been regarded as the Maitreya, it is possible that the statue in question does represent the Maitreya Buddha.
The construction of this stone statue was influenced by the new style which originated from the Stone Standing Buddha Triad at the Gaetaesa Temple Site, Nonsan (Treasure No. 219), which was built to commemorate Goryeo’s unification of the Later Three Kingdoms. However, judging from its robust proportions and volume, it is believed to have been built prior to the new style, which is similar to the slender stone pillar that appeared after the mid-eleventh century. In particular, it features a round finial ornament and an unadorned rear side of the body, unlike the Stone Standing Buddha in Maesan-ri, Anseong (Gyeonggi-do Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 37), which was built by the royal family around 1000AD, and the Stone Standing Maitreya Bodhisattva of Gwanchoksa Temple, Nonsan (National Treasure No. 323). Based on such elements, it is believed to have been built by Buan’s residents and artisans in the early eleventh century.
- Historical Significance
- The existence of the stone standing Maitreya Buddha at Yonghwasa Temple indicates that Goryeo’s new style of Buddha statues had spread to Buan by the eleventh century. It is considered a significant instance in which a town association based around the local headmen participated in building a stone Buddha statue in the early eleventh century, around the time that the Khitan invaded the country.