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| Tomgdo Temple on Mt. Yeongchuk in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province / Yonhap |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
UNESCO inscribed seven ancient mountain monasteries of Korea on its World Heritage List during the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee in Manama, Bahrain, Saturday.
Known as "sansa" in Korean, these Buddhist mountain monasteries are located throughout the southern provinces and showcase how Buddhism has merged with the country's indigenous beliefs and styles.
The seven monasteries are Beopju Temple on Mt. Songni, Tongdo Temple on Mt. Yeongchuk, Buseok Temple on Mt. Bonghwang, Bongjeong Temple on Mt. Cheondeung, Magok Temple on Mt. Taehwa, Seonam Temple on Mt. Jogye and Daeheung Temple on Mt. Duryun.
The temples are deemed to have "outstanding universal value" for their persistence since the seventh century along with the long, deep-rooted history of Buddhism in Korea.
"These mountain monasteries are sacred places, which have survived as living centers of faith and daily religious practice to the present," UNESCO said in a statement.
The committee also suggested an improved maintenance plan for the monasteries and measures to deal with the increasing number of visitors.
The committee also asked that it be consulted before any new buildings are constructed around the temples.
The monasteries became the 13th Korean entry to the World Heritage List, following sites such as Seokguram Grotto, Jongmyo Shrine, Hwaseong Fortress, Namhansanseong and most recently the Baekje Historic Areas.
Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) head Kim Jong-jin said his organization would promote the value of the mountain temples.
Previously in May, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which provides the committee with evaluations of cultural properties, recommended only four of the seven submitted temples -- Beopju, Tongdo, Buseok and Daeheung -- but all seven were inscribed on the UNESCO list.
Kim thanked CHA staff for acknowledging the historical backgrounds of the temples, and thanked the Korean National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs for supporting the new listing.
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