Stories of Korea’s National Treasures 40
Photo Credit: Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea
Thirteen-story Stone Pagoda at the Site of Jeonghyesa Temple
(Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
🏯 1. A Tower that Touches the Sky
Standing in quiet solitude on the site of Jeonghyesa Temple in Gyeongju, the Thirteen-story Stone Pagoda rises elegantly against the horizon — a slender, timeless silhouette reaching toward the heavens.
Built during the late Unified Silla period (9th century), this rare thirteen-tiered structure reflects both the maturity of Silla’s architectural precision and its deep spiritual aspiration.
Its unusual height and graceful form make it one of the most distinctive pagodas in all of Korea.
Though the temple itself has long vanished, the pagoda endures — a vertical hymn carved in stone.
🪨 2. Structure and Artistic Refinement
The pagoda stands on a square, single-layered base, supporting thirteen thinly stacked stories that diminish subtly as they ascend.
Each story is formed from finely hewn granite slabs, proportioned with remarkable delicacy and balance.
Unlike the more robust three- or five-story pagodas of its time, this tower’s slender verticality emphasizes elegance over mass, reflecting the late Silla pursuit of spiritual lightness.
The roof stones are thin and widely projecting, creating a rhythm of ascending wings — as though each layer carries the prayer of enlightenment upward.
The overall composition is a perfect blend of stability, rhythm, and aspiration, revealing how the artisans of Silla transformed geometry into poetry.
🌄 3. Symbolism and Meaning
In Buddhist cosmology, the pagoda represents Mount Meru, the axis of the universe and the path toward enlightenment.
The thirteen tiers of the Jeonghyesa Pagoda are said to symbolize the multiple stages of awakening, each level a step closer to ultimate truth.
Its soaring form mirrors the Silla belief that faith, when pure, naturally ascends — not in haste, but in quiet perseverance.
To stand before it is to feel both humility and hope: the understanding that spiritual elevation is built one layer at a time, upon a steadfast foundation.
🌿 4. Preservation and Legacy
Despite the centuries that have passed, the Thirteen-story Stone Pagoda at Jeonghyesa Temple Site remains well-preserved, though partially restored.
Its clean lines and refined proportions continue to inspire admiration among scholars and visitors alike.
Designated National Treasure No. 40, it stands as a symbol of Korea’s late Silla artistry — a period when spiritual depth and architectural elegance reached perfect harmony.
Even now, under changing skies, the pagoda stands tall and unwavering —
a reminder that the truest faith does not crumble with time, but grows ever more radiant through endurance.
💬 5. A Warm Reflection
“This tower does not seek to pierce the heavens;
it grows toward them quietly,
layer by layer —
a prayer carved in stone,
ever rising with the wind.”
📌 Notice
The National Treasure number indicates the order of designation, not a ranking of value.
For more information, please visit the 👉National Heritage Portal