The Korea Heritage Service announced Friday that it has designated six auxiliary Buddhist halls, including the Geungnakjeon Hall at Hyeondeungsa Temple in Gapyeong, and four monk quarters as national treasures.
The Korea Heritage Service explained that the auxiliary halls and monk quarters designated this time were built and rebuilt during the mid-to-late Joseon period (17th to 19th centuries). The auxiliary halls fully preserve the stylistic characteristics and techniques of late Joseon traditional wooden architecture, while the monk quarters were built as spaces for mountain practice and daily life at temples, allowing observation of changes in lifestyle over the eras, giving them high historical, artistic and academic value.
An auxiliary Buddhist hall (bubuljeon) is a shrine located apart from the main hall that enshrines the Buddha or Bodhisattvas. Examples include the Nahanjeon, Yeongsanjeon, Wontongjeon and Birojeon halls. The six auxiliary halls designated as treasures this time are: ▲the Geungnakjeon Hall at Hyeondeungsa Temple in Gapyeong ▲the Birojeon Hall at Gagyeonsa Temple in Goesan ▲the Yeongsanjeon Hall at Seonunsa Temple in Gochang ▲the Wontongjeon Hall at Seonamsa Temple in Suncheon ▲the Eungjindang Hall at Songgwangsa Temple in Suncheon ▲and the Eungjinjeon Hall at Girimsa Temple in Gyeongju.
Monk quarters (yosachae) are spaces where monks reside at temples, including meditation rooms (seonbang) for Zen practice and inbeopdang halls used for worship and daily living. Four were also designated as treasures this time: ▲the Muryangsugak at Yeongcheonam Temple in Geumsan ▲the Seolseondang at Janggoksa Temple in Cheongyang ▲the Seolseondang and quarters at Naesosa Temple in Buan ▲and the Jeonghyewon at Sungnimsa Temple in Iksan.
Although auxiliary halls and monk quarters are Buddhist cultural heritage just like the main Buddhist halls, stone pagodas and stone Buddhas familiar to the general public, they have been pointed out as having been relatively neglected in comparison.
The Korea Heritage Service explained, "We conducted value surveys and excavations of auxiliary halls and monk quarters, which had been relatively neglected despite their designation value among Buddhist architectural heritage." It added, "With the designation of these 10 sites, we expect domestic and international interest in Buddhist cultural heritage to rise further, and furthermore to become a new driving force leading regional cultural prosperity."
