Gamsansa
According to engravings preserved on extant artifacts excavated from the temple site as well as the 13th century Korean work Samguk Yusa, Gamsan (‘sweet mountain’) Temple was established in 719 by the Silla aristocrat Kim Jiseong (金志誠; 652–?) on the site of his own estate, apparently to pray for the souls of his deceased parents and siblings as well as the future prosperity of the Silla kingdom. Two granite statues, of the Maitreya Buddha and Amithaba Buddha, were discovered during the Japanese colonial period in the early 20th century and later designated Korean National Treasures no. 81 and 82 respectively. The carving of the Maitreya Buddha had been commissioned by Kim and dedicated to the spirit of his father while the Amithaba was dedicated to the spirit of his mother. They are both currently held at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. At the Gyeongju National Museum can be found 12 dancing zodiac figures carved in stone that once decorated the base of the temple's stone pagoda.
References
- (in Korean) Brief information about Gamsansa Empas dictionary
- (in Korean) Brief information about Gamsansa Empas/Encyclopædia Britannica
35°45′59″N 129°20′13″E / 35.7664625°N 129.337048°E