동아시아의 평화와 화해의 정치학 Scrapbook: 천년 전 불국사엔 무지개가 활짝 피었다

2022-01-28

천년 전 불국사엔 무지개가 활짝 피었다 - 매경프리미엄

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천년 전 불국사엔 무지개가 활짝 피었다 - 매경프리미엄

천년 전 불국사엔 무지개가 활짝 피었다
배한철
입력 : 2020.01.15

▲ 무너져가는 불국사. 일제강점기 보수전 불국사의 모습이다. 국립중앙박물관 소장.[국보의 자취-23] 임진왜란이 발발한 이듬해인 1593년(선조 26) 5월. 경주 불국사를 찾아온 왜적 수십 명은 절의 아름다운 모습에 넋을 잃어버린다. 감탄을 쏟아내며 이곳저곳 둘러보던 그들은 뜻밖에도 절 내 한구석에서 무기를 발견한다. 경상좌병사가 지장전(지장보살을 안치한 건물) 벽 사이에 숨겨놓은 활과 칼 등을 찾아냈던 것이다.

돌연 이성을 잃은 왜군은 고색창연한 불국사를 불태우는 만행을 저지른다. 독실한 불교국가였고 전사자의 명복을 빌기 위해 전쟁터에 승려까지 대동하고 다녔던 일본으로서는 납득할 수 없는 행동이었다. 근처 장수사로 피란 가 있던 담화대사가 이 소식을 듣고 황급히 달려왔지만, 화마는 대웅전, 극락전 자하문을 제외한 2000여 칸의 건물 모두 삼켜버렸다.

대한민국 국민으로서 경주 불국사에 안 가본 사람이 있을까. 불국사는 전 국민의 수학여행지이자 경주를 넘어 우리나라 제일의 명소이다. 토함산 서쪽 기슭에 위치한 불국사는 "불국정토(淨土)를 속세에 건설하겠다"는 통일신라인들의 야심 찬 꿈이 드러나 있는 절이다. 신라의 무수한 사찰 가운데 치밀한 구성과 미적 완성도가 가장 뛰어난 절이다.

▲ 일제강점기 보수된 불국사를 둘러보러온 일본 귀족 일행. 국립중앙박물관 소장.몇몇 문헌에 신라 불교가 공인되던 해인 법흥왕 15(528)에 창건되고 경덕왕대에 김대성에 의해 중창됐다고 적혀 있다. 그렇지만 학계는 이는 윤색된 것으로 사료적 가치가 떨어지고 삼국유사 '사중기(寺中記)'의 기록이 가장 믿을 만하다고 판단한다.

사중기는 "경덕왕 때의 재상 김대성이 751년 불국사와 석굴사(석굴암)를 창건하기 시작했고 774년 세상을 떠나자 국가에서 이를 맡아서 완성시켰다"고 기술하고 있다. 공사를 시작한 것은 751년(경덕왕 10)이라고 명시돼 있지만 준공 시기는 제대로 밝혀진 바 없다. 그런데 조선후기 문신 이종상(1799~1870)의 시 '등불국범영루(登佛國泛影樓)'에 "(불국사) 스님은 39년에 완성했다 하네"라는 구절이 보인다. 이 시를 썼던 19세기엔 불국사에 39년 만에 완공됐다는 설이 있었던 것이다. 비록 후대의 기록이지만 불국사가 39년 만인 원성왕 6년(790)에 완성됐을 가능성이 높아 보인다.

불국사와 석굴사 창건은 통일 후 100년이 지나 신라의 정치, 경제, 종교, 문화 등 모든 조건이 성숙했기 때문에 가능한 일이었다. 국가적 배려와 경제적 뒷받침은 말할 것도 없고 종교적 신앙심과 간절함, 예술적 영감과 창조적 열정, 장인들의 뛰어난 솜씨와 수많은 사람의 땀과 노력이 한데 모여 걸작품을 만들어 낼 수 있었던 것이다.

불국사 목표는 불교적 유토피아인 불국을 지상에 구현하는 데 있다. 인간이 살고 있는 사바세계는 욕심으로 오염된 땅이고 그러기에 근심이 많고 고통도 많다. 부처가 건설한 불국토는 험한 세상을 살아가는 사람들에게 희망을 주는 약속의 땅, 피안의 땅이며, 근심 걱정이 없는 깨끗한 나라, 즉 정토(淨土)이다. 불국사는 사바세계에 우뚝 솟은 불국의 세계를 상징한다. 불국사는 높은 석축과 석단 위에 세워졌는데 석단 아래는 사바세계, 그 위는 불국정토를 뜻한다. 특히 석단 아래에는 현실세계를 의미하는 연못을 만들어 이상세계와의 구분을 더욱 명확히 하고 있다.

▲ 불국사는 통일신라인들이 지상에 부처의 세상인 불국정토를 건설하기 위해 지은 절이다. /사진=문화재청.불교에는 여러 종류의 부처가 존재하듯, 각각의 부처가 사는 세계도 다양하다. 석가모니 부처는 영취산(고대 인도의 산)에서 법화경을 설법했다. 설법하던 장소를 특별히 영산회상(靈山會上)이라고 하며 이는 석가모니 부처가 중생을 교화한 사바세계 불국이다. 중생들에게 무한한 수명과 극락왕생의 길을 제시하는 아미타불은 서방의 극락세계를, 비로자나불은 연화장 세계를 주관하는 부처이다. 통일신라는 화엄사상이 크게 유행해 비로자나 부처를 숭배했다. 화엄은 부처가 깨달음을 얻었을 때 봤다는 연꽃 속의 웅장한 세계, 즉 연화장(불교적 이상세계 중 하나)에서 유래했다. 온갖 꽃(부처의 공덕)으로 장엄한 연화장의 세계가 곧 화엄인 것이다.

불국사의 영역은 크게 대웅전, 극락전, 비로전 등 3개 영역으로 나눈다. 대웅전은 법화경에 근거한 석가모니 부처의 사바세계 불국을, 극락전은 아미타경 또는 무량수경에 근거한 아미타 부처의 극락세계를, 비로전은 화엄경에 근거한 비로자나 부처의 연화장 세계를 상징한다. 결국 불국사에는 서로 다른 3가지의 부처가 존재하는 것이다.

지금은 동쪽으로 난 통로로 불국사로 들어가지만 과거 불국으로 들어가는 길은 두 곳으로 나 있었다. 동쪽의 백운·청운교(국보 제23호) 두 다리를 건너 대웅전 앞의 자하문을 향해가는 길과 서쪽의 연화·칠보교(국보 제22호) 두 다리를 건너 안양문을 통과해 극락전으로 나아가는 길이다.

백운·청운교는 백운교 18계단, 청운교 16계단 등 34계단으로 돼 있다. 계단이지만 다리 형식의 특이한 구조이다. 다리 아래쪽으로 돌로 만든 연못(석조)이 있었다고 여러 문헌들이 전한다. 지금도 계단 왼쪽에 물이 낙하하는 장치 흔적이 존재한다. 물이 떨어져 물보라가 일면서 무지개가 피어났다고 한다. 8세기 후반 통일신라 당시의 다리로서 유일하게 완전한 형태로 남아있는 것이며 다리 아래 무지개 모양은 우리나라 석교나 성문 등 반원아치 홍예교의 출발점을 보여줘 매우 귀중한 유물로 인식된다.

청운·백운교가 웅장한 멋을 보여준다면 연화·칠보교는 섬세한 아름다움을 표현했다. 연화교 10계단, 칠보교 8계단 등 총 18계단이다. 연화·칠보교는 인간의 수명과 관련된 아미타불이 모셔진 극락전으로 들어가는 문인 만큼 당대 사람들이 이곳을 오르내리며 극락왕생을 기원했다. 49대 헌강왕(875~886)이 죽자 비구니가 된 헌강왕비도 이곳에서 남편의 극락왕생을 빌었다고 한다.

임진왜란 때 불탄 불국사를 새로 짓기 시작한 것은 10여 년의 세월이 지난 1604년(선조 37)부터였다. 이후 19세기에 이르기까지 복구와 중수의 불사가 수도 없이 반복된다. 1740년(영조 16) 승려 활암이 쓴 '불국사고금창기(古今創記)'에 의하면 대웅전 1659년 중수·1765년 중창, 자하문 1630년 중수·1781년 중창, 우경루 1612년 중창·1715년 중수, 좌경루 1612년 중창·1690년 중수, 범종각 1612년 중창·1688년 중수·1781년 중창, 무설전 1648년 중건·1708년 수리, 비로전 1660년 중건, 관음전 1604년 중창·1696년 중수, 문수전 1628년 중건·1674년 중수, 극락전 1750년 중수·1800년대 중창, 안양문 1626년 중창·1737년 중수 등이 이뤄졌다.

어느 문화재인들 그렇지 않겠냐마는 겨레가 자랑하는 불국사 역시 국권상실의 혼란기 속에 폐허로 변한다. 석단과 계단이 무너지고 주저앉았으며 경내는 잡목과 잡초에 뒤덮였던 것이다. 총독부는 1923~1936년에 정비에 나서지만 수리 이전의 조사, 연구가 불충분했고 석단과 회랑지 등에 많은 변형이 초래됐다는 비판을 면치 못했다.

광복 이후 박정희 정권에서 또다시 복원공사를 실시한다. 공사는 1970년에서 1973년 6월까지 3년6개월간 진행됐다. 종전 대웅전, 극락전, 자하문, 안양문 등이 남아 있었는데 공사기간 무설전, 비로전, 관음전, 범영루, 좌경루, 일주문 등을 신축했고 석축과 계단을 크게 수리했다.

하지만 만족스럽지 못한 복원이었다. 백운·청운교 아래 있었던 연못이 제외된 것을 포함해 회랑이 답답하게 느껴지며 범영루와 좌경루가 길을 막고 있는 점, 자하문과 안양문의 지붕 양식이 서로 다른 점, 다보탑 쪽에 통로를 인위적으로 만든 점 등이 지금까지도 문제점으로 거론되고 있다.

불국사 전체는 사적 502호이며, 경내에 국보 제20호 다보탑, 국보 제21호 석가탑, 국보 제22호 연화·칠보교, 국보 제23호 청운·백운교, 국보 제26호 금동비로자나불좌상, 국보 제27호 금동아미타여래좌상이 있다. 석가탑에서 수습된 국보 제126호 석가탑 사리장엄구는 서울 종로구 불교중앙박물관에 소장돼 있다.

1300년 전, 백운·청운교 아래 연못 속에서 아롱지는 불국 세계의 휘황한 누각과 탑은 고통받는 현세의 중생들에게 마치 꿈결처럼 구원의 손짓을 보내는 듯했을 것이다.

[배한철 기자]

===

JiHoon Suk

Part of the reason of these temple restorations was of course that many colonial authorities,

including 4 govenor-generals, identified themselves as devout Buddhists. The restorations

(though only a few were actually done) were also considered to be shown as prime examples

of the cultural/moral superiority of colonial authorities by preserving the historical sites of the

"colonized". If you see the actual details of how things went, though, it was quite ridiculously

inefficient and slow process - they began "restorations" of Bulguksa in April 1912 but they

were only able to finish it in August 1926, as the funding and the workforce was given in a

"piecemeal" fashion.

Dale Quarrington

Don't forget about Seokguram, either, which underwent numerous "renovations" from 1913

to 1927. The reconstruction of Seokguram was one blunder after another from sealing the

grotto with concrete and asphalt, as well as the jigsaw worth of stone pieces that still

remain on the hermitage grounds after being completely dismantled from 1913-15. And

don't forget the hot water spraying of the statues and reliefs inside the grotto. The

J ld h d b tt t h t h d S k

7 July 2021 at 18:05 ·

I just saw this striking photo of Bulguksa (불국사) in the early 20th century. Wow. It looked so skeletal and

broken down.

It reminds me of an old photo of Daegu's Yeungnam-jeilgwan (영남제일관) from the same period; busted up,

ratty, and held up seemingly by only a few stubborn old planks and rusty nails. It was torn down to modernize the

roads around it, around the same time Daegu's old walls were removed.

It's a shame that more wasn't done to preserve the old, old, old air of the original structures of Bulguksa,

Yeungnam-jeilgwan, and others, but at least Bulguksa looks pretty damn good these days -- especially in

autumn!

11:03 Korean History - News and Discussion

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1638264809722131/permalink/2913142218901044/?m_entstream_source=feed_mobile 1/9

Mike Sizemore Korean History - News and Discussion

15 shares

Andrew Salmon

To their credit, one area where the Japanese colonizers did a lot of renovation, was to Buddhist

temples.

JiHoon Suk

Part of the reason of these temple restorations was of course that many colonial authorities,

including 4 govenor-generals, identified themselves as devout Buddhists. The restorations

(though only a few were actually done) were also considered to be shown as prime examples

of the cultural/moral superiority of colonial authorities by preserving the historical sites of the

"colonized". If you see the actual details of how things went, though, it was quite ridiculously

inefficient and slow process - they began "restorations" of Bulguksa in April 1912 but they

were only able to finish it in August 1926, as the funding and the workforce was given in a

"piecemeal" fashion.

Dale Quarrington

Don't forget about Seokguram, either, which underwent numerous "renovations" from 1913

to 1927. The reconstruction of Seokguram was one blunder after another from sealing the

grotto with concrete and asphalt, as well as the jigsaw worth of stone pieces that still

remain on the hermitage grounds after being completely dismantled from 1913-15. And

don't forget the hot water spraying of the statues and reliefs inside the grotto. The

J ld h d b tt t h t h d S k

7 July 2021 at 18:05 ·

I just saw this striking photo of Bulguksa (불국사) in the early 20th century. Wow. It looked so skeletal and

broken down.

It reminds me of an old photo of Daegu's Yeungnam-jeilgwan (영남제일관) from the same period; busted up,

ratty, and held up seemingly by only a few stubborn old planks and rusty nails. It was torn down to modernize the

roads around it, around the same time Daegu's old walls were removed.

It's a shame that more wasn't done to preserve the old, old, old air of the original structures of Bulguksa,

Yeungnam-jeilgwan, and others, but at least Bulguksa looks pretty damn good these days -- especially in

autumn!

Source: https://www.mk.co.kr/premium/special-report/view/2020/01/27554/

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9+ 9+ 20 Korean History - News and Discussion

22. 1. 28. 오전 11:03 Korean History - News and Discussion

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Japanese would have done better never to have touched Seokguram.

Andrew Salmon

Dale Quarrington Indeed, but (1) it was a Japanese who discovered (fell into, IIRC) the

previously overgrown and unknown Seokguram; and (2) Was the restoration of

the site bad - or was it just the tech and practices of the time? After all, one could reasonably

critique a great deal of the "restoration" done by the various authorities to historical structures

to this very day.

Dale Quarrington

Andrew Salmon it was done badly. It was poorly researched. They actually had no grasp

of how the grotto naturally remained cool and had limited humidity. It was from this lack of

understanding that they attempted to apply modern methods. The problem with this is that

they didn't fully understand what they were attempting to fix BEFORE they fixed it. Also,

after taking it apart, they weren't able to put it back together properly (just like humpty

dumpty).

Andrew Salmon

Dale Quarrington Yes you have made those points, but what I am asking is, "Was this simply

sloppy practice that would not have happened in, say, Egypt or China or Greece? Or was that

the way things were generally done back in those days?" I'd add that, in Korea, it is not just

Japanese imperialists who made errors. Post-colonial efforts to improve the storage of the

Tripitaka Koreana were not just ineffective, but harmful. Jihoon recently made clear on this

forum how some ancient tombs in Seoul have been restored to the point where they bear

literally no resemblance to actual photographs of them from early in the 20th century. And to

this very day in Seoul, hanok "restorations" ruin the houses' original skeletons when owners

put boilers inside - not understanding that water causes rot, while the original ondol dries out

wood. But TBF: None of the above problems are deliberate; they are done by well-meaning

people.

Dale Quarrington

Andrew Salmon yes I got your point the first time around, and you seem to be reiterating the

same points, as well.

What I meant by the grotto being "poorly researched" is that the Japanese archaeologist

simply didn't understand the hidden stone scaffolding that had been present in the structure

since its creation which helped support the structure and keep it cool and free of humidity. If

they did, they wouldn't have removed it. They didn't understand this when they took it apart

nor when they put it back together with iron and concrete. Either they cut corners, didn't invest

enough time in understanding the structure, or both.

Dale Quarrington

As for Haeinsa, and the comparison to modern conservation efforts that you made, well, they

fall short. While Seokguram was simply dismantled by the Japanese without thoroughly

understanding its architecture, Haeinsa built a new modern state of the art structure to house

the Tripitaka Koreana in 1970. The difference is that they didn't use it after it was discovered

that test blocks had grown mildew on them. So the modern structure was shelved and the

Tripitaka remain in the Janggyeong Panjeon complex.

Andrew Salmon

The point I am making is twofold. (1) Things change, and research and reconstruction

methodologies in the 1910s were at least this is my presumption ? less advanced than

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methodologies in the 1910s were - at least, this is my presumption...? - less advanced than

those in the 1970s, and subsequently. (2) Even so: To this day, there are very significant

problems with heritage reconstruction and "renovation." Both of which points leads me to

suggest that we should reserve our strongest ire for dubious contemporary projects - on the

grounds that, by now, we (or renovation "experts") ought to know better.

JiHoon Suk

Dale Quarrington Andrew Salmon I have to say that the grotto had to have some major

restorations after suffering significant damage following the earthquake. By 1913, when the

first round of reconstruction began, more than half of the ceiling had collapsed. The Japanese

also genuinely believed the benefits of concrete, cement, and mortar, as they have applied

loads of these in their own historic stone structures and buildings all around the same time.

The fragmentary "puzzle pieces" you are referring to are mostly damaged beyond recognition

and it had to be replaced.

JiHoon Suk

The Seokguram Grotto as it appeared in February 1910.

JiHoon Suk

This photo was taken on 11 October 1909 by the Japanese architectural historian Sekino

Tadashi, right after Gyeongju (and the temple) suffered a devastating earthquake.

JiHoon Suk replied · 5 replies

Wook Kwon

Stunning

Mitzi Findlay-cooper

How very sad,wonder why no one felt to save it and help re vitalise it ,such a rich history.

Jean Sunmi

Mitzi Findlay-cooper the Japanese were busy occupying the country around then so…

Mike Sizemore

It's convenient to have a bogeyman in your national history, but no, the degradation of Bulguksa

and many other structures started decades earlier Many local governments and the court in

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and many other structures started decades earlier. Many local governments and the court in

Seoul were rampantly corrupt and generally just didn't prioritize patronage and infrastructure in

any way substantial enough to keep things running. It's fairly well-known that late-era Joseon

was a shambles; that was largely why the yangban class welcomed the modernizing advantages

of foreign investment, though generations later their children would be the most fervent in writing

a tidier, more strident anti-Japanese national history post-liberation, which rather brings us back

to the top. Rinse, repeat.

Fred Underwood

I visited Bulguksa in 1972. There were considerable restorations underway and this photo from that

trip shows how they cut the support columns before building the corridors around the the main temple

buildings.

Fred Underwood replied · 4 replies

JiHoon Suk

Mike Sizemore Matt VanVolkenburg Andrew Salmon

I wouldn't say the corruption and moral degradation of the Yangban classes have something to do

with the general downfall of Bulguksa, because contrary to what you are led to believe about this

temple, this was never a historically significant temple in the first place. No important historical

events had occurred in this temple - certainly not the type of events of grandeur enjoyed by more

historically significant temples in Gyeongju - which made the temple's reputation quite obscure

throughout much of its history.

That being said, Bulguksa still managed to get a considerable amount of sponsorship and

financial support throughout the late Joseon period - there was a major revamping and restoration

to the temple and the Seokguram Grotto in the 1880s, most of the finances supported by the local

Yangban elites (including the wealthy Gyeongju Choi clan). However, the major flood in June

1902, followed by the anti-Japanese resistance movement in 1905-1907 period (caused by the

public outcry after the signing of the Eulsa Treaty) which resulted the "evacuation" of temples in

the mountains, and the 1909 earthquake, practically gutted out the temple. When Sekino came to

visit Bulguksa in 1909, he recorded that there were only two monks living in the temple, compared

to more than 40 of them when he visited it in April 1902.

Again, you do need to have contexts and more fine-tuned understanding of these events; blaming

the so-called corruption of the elites of the time doesn't really explain the whole affair.

Matt VanVolkenburg

Fascinating as always, JiHoon - thank you for sharing this.

Andrew Salmon

JiH S k H ld thi ! I th ht S k h d b l t t th ld i th 1780

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JiHoon Suk Hold everything! I thought Soekgurram had been lost to the world in the 1780s -

but you say it was being renovated in the 1880s? And why were monks evacuated (by

whom? To where?) during the early anti-Japanese resistance?

JiHoon Suk

I don't know where the 1780s date comes from. The whole claim that the Grotto was lost to

history until the early 20th century is a total fabrication. The story first came from a memoir

written by one Oshaka Kintaro in 1922, who was a Japanese antique dealer based in Gyeongju.

He claimed that he had a postman friend of his who discovered the Grotto by accident, but he

simply gave no details in that account, and the book is filled with so many tall tales, it is quite

easily dismissed. Sadly though, the Japanese authorities had abused this old man's tall tale to

create this elaborate story of the Grotto's rediscovery, which, of course, was used to show the

"superior intellectual capacity" of the Japanese over the Koreans.

Anyway, the locals did know about the Grotto all along - there were many visitors who wrote

about their visits to the grotto in the 18th and the 19th century. Also, the Dongguk University

Museum has a wooden commemorative plaque (pictured) dating from 1892 which was written in

commemoration of one Cho Soon-sang 조순상 趙巡相, who was a military officer from Ulsan.

Cho hired stone masons, carpenters and other workers to repair the Grotto (in 1883) and built a

small hermitage (in 1891) next to the Grotto, which still stands to this day. The reconstruction

reports from 1913-1915 also records that the locals called the grotto as the "Cho Family

Hermitage", and the Cho family was still paying for the food supplies and the other living

expenses of the monks living in that hermitage up to that time.

Andrew Salmon

JiHoon Suk Fascinating, did not know any of this. So the crafty colonialists' claim to have

rediscovered it is bollocks - but they did popularize/publicize it?

JiHoon Suk

For your second question; when the guerilla fighting against the Japanese troops became

quite fierce and rampant in 1906 and later, there were instances where the Buddhist temples

in the mountains became hideouts for the local guerilla fighters (the so-called "Righteous

Army") and the Japanese troops attacked these temples, often with devastating results. One

prime example of this was the Sanasa temple in Yangpyeong - a historic temple that was one

of the largest Buddhist temples in the upper Han river regions until 1907, when the Japanese

troops burned it to the ground to destroy the hideouts of the guerilla fighters. It was around

this time that the local governor of Gyeongju ordered the monks living in the temples in the

mountainous areas to evacuate and move to other bigger, accessible temples; the monks of

Bulguksa left their temple (around March 1907) to go to Girimsa, which was a much more

bigger and accessible temple roughly 20 kilometers away.

JiHoon Suk

Andrew Salmon Precisely.

Gregory C Eaves

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Gregory C. Eaves

We should all buy JiHoon Suk a beer or three.

Matt VanVolkenburg Andrew Salmon

Andrew Salmon

Gregory C. Eaves The bloke is a font of information, no question. Set it up.

Mike Sizemore

Are you saying the temple was damaged by flooding or that perhaps access to it prevented more

people from visiting (i.e., washed-put roads)?

Also, where can I read more about this 1909 earthquake? Does it have a popular vernacular

name I could search for?

JiHoon Suk

Mike Sizemore I was saying that the dilapidated state of the photo above was the result of

various factors, including flood, forced evacuation, and earthquakes. It probably affected the

visitors' route to visit the temple; but again, it was not a well-known temple that was widely

recognized by the vast majority of people of Korea like it is today. The locals certainly knew

about it. I doubt people from other areas visited this temple often in the late 19th century.

I don't think you can find anything about the 1909 earthquakes on casual search on Google, but

there are numerous historical documents and items that attests the earthquake. According to the

government reports and newspaper items, there were two earthquakes that affected Gyeongju,

Ulsan, and Pohang regions in 1909 - a big one occurred on June 10th, followed by another (but

less powerful) one on September 19th that year. The June 10th one resulted two casualties in

the township of Gyeongju.

Allan W. Horbach

Tough crowd

Kathleen Barco

It is amazing to me that even this much was left upright considering the beating Korea took during

its civil war. I agree that more could have been done to preserve the old structures but it’s

important to remember that the country’s leaders at that time were primarily focused on housing

and feeding people, and modernizing the country was a way to accomplish that.

Andrew Salmon

Which civil war? During the Korea War, much of South Korea - Busan, Daegu, the offshore

islands and pretty well all of the southwest - was minimally impacted. Granted, Daejeon and

Incheon were pretty smashed up, and so were parts of Suwon and Seoul. But far, far greater

destruction was visited upon the North.

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Kathleen Barco

Andrew Salmon I lived in Chun Cheon for several years. The entire city save one structure was

leveled because, being the “Gateway to Seoul,” the armies went through there a number of times

as the fighting shifted north-south etc. I have always had the impression that the South was

pretty banged up by the war.

JiHoon Suk

For comparison, here is the earliest photograph of the temple, taken by Sekino Tadashi, on 27 April

1902. While the buildings are somewhat dilapidated, the stone stairwells were relatively intact and the

corridors that connected the gate and the belfry was still there.

JiHoon Suk

The details of the temple's staircase, with relatively "fresh" damage clearly visible. Photo taken by the

Japanese anthropologist Torii Ryuzo, 8th March 1914.

JiHoon Suk

Even after the "restoration" on the temple officially began in 1912, the temple was still largely in ruins

throughout much of the 1910s and the early 1920s. Pictured here is a photo of the Jahamun gate, with

its roof severely damaged after the temple was hit by another flood during the summer of 1919.

Photographer unknown, but dated 28 August 1919.

JiHoon Suk

Bulguksa after all of the restoration was completed. Photo taken on 16 September 1926.

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JiHoon Suk

And this is a photo from 1971 showing the major reconstruction of the temple during the Park Chunghee administration - as one can see this was almost a total overhaul which has been quite

controversial ever since.

Bruce Burnam

I have spoken to a number of Koreans who now admire much of what Park Chung Hee did in

restoring sites such as Bulkuksa, reforesting the country, and building a solid economy that has

become world class over the years. "Upon an extensive archeological investigation, major restoration

was conducted between 1969 and 1973 by the order of President Park Chung Hee, bringing Bulguksa

to its current form." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulguksa

Bulguksa - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

JiHoon Suk

Mike Sizemore Here is something a bit different: a photo of Yeongnam Jeilgwan right before its

demolition - photo taken on 10 August 1906. One has to remember, though, that the gate/pavilion has

already lost its function 12 years earlier and it was totally exposed to the elements during all that time.

Mike Sizemore

JiHoon, I love that photo. It makes me nostalgic for a time I never experienced! It's quite

common here in Daegu, that photo. It's prominent at the Daegu Modern History Museum -- or

it used to be, pre-pandemic. That's a wonderful museum, so I'm glad to take the chance to

encourage people to visit.

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The photo was also part of a display at the recreated 영남제일관 near Mangwoodang Park

(망우당공원). The recreation takes some liberties, but it's one of my favorite places in Daegu

2022-01-28

천년 전 불국사엔 무지개가 활짝 피었다 - 매경프리미엄

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