Stories of Korea’s National Treasures 55
Photo Credit : Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea
North Seungtap (Stupa) of Yeonggoksa Temple
(Gurye, Jeollanam-do)
🏯 1. A Twin Monument of Silent Reverence
Within the grounds of Yeonggoksa Temple in Gurye, the North Seungtap (Monk’s Stupa) stands quietly opposite its eastern counterpart.
Dating to the Unified Silla period (8th–9th century), this stupa was erected to honor a revered Buddhist master whose life was devoted to discipline, insight, and compassion.
Together with the East Seungtap, it forms a pair that speaks of balance and continuity — two lives remembered through stone, two paths converging in stillness.
🪨 2. Form and Craftsmanship
The North Seungtap shares the refined structural vocabulary of high Silla funerary art:
a square base, an octagonal main body, and a rounded upper element crowned by a finial.
Carved from finely dressed granite, its surfaces are marked by subtle bands and restrained reliefs, avoiding excess while preserving dignity.
The octagonal plan evokes the Eightfold Path, while the calm vertical rise suggests a composed journey toward liberation.
Though similar in form to the East Seungtap, the North Seungtap reveals slight variations in proportion and detailing — a reminder that devotion, like art, allows for individual expression within harmony.
🌄 3. Meaning of the Paired Stupas
In Buddhist tradition, a seungtap is not a monument of triumph, but of completion — marking the end of a life of practice and the beginning of quiet remembrance.
The presence of paired stupas at Yeonggoksa conveys a deeper message:
that awakening is not solitary, and that wisdom resonates more fully when reflected in companionship and balance.
Standing between the two, one senses a dialogue without words —
stone answering stone, silence answering silence —
a spatial meditation on interdependence and calm resolution.
🌿 4. Preservation and Legacy
The North Seungtap of Yeonggoksa Temple remains in excellent condition, preserving its original silhouette and refined carving despite more than a millennium of exposure.
Designated National Treasure No. 55, it is valued not only as an individual masterpiece, but as part of a rare paired ensemble of monk stupas, offering exceptional insight into Unified Silla spiritual commemoration.
Today, it stands without fence or flourish, teaching by presence alone —
that the deepest respect is often expressed without words, without display.
💬 5. A Warm Reflection
“Two stupas stand apart, yet share one silence.
Here, remembrance needs no voice —
only balance,
and the patience to listen to stillness.”
📌 Notice
The National Treasure number indicates the order of designation, not a ranking of value.
For more information, please visit the 👉 National Heritage Portal.