8 overlooked temple gates to be designated as national treasures

Bogyeong Temple's Cheonwangmun Gate in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province / Yonhap

A total of eight entry gates, built between the 17th and 18th centuries, to Korea's Buddhist temples, which have been largely overlooked despite their cultural value, will be designated as national treasures, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said Friday.

They include Geumgangmun of Songgwang Temple in South Jeolla Province, Cheonwangmun of Beopju Temple in North Chungcheong Province and Cheonwangmun of Bogyeong Temple in North Gyeongsang Province. Geumgangmun houses geumgang-yeoksa, or vajra warriors, and Cheonwangmun holds the sacheonwang, or four heavenly kings. They are both regarded as gatekeepers and guardians in Buddhist tradition.

Among those entry gates, Haetalmun of Dogap Temple in South Jeolla Province, National Treasure No. 50, has been thus far the only one designated as a national treasure and protected for its heritage value accordingly.

The CHA has reviewed some 50 gates since 2022 and undergone a one-month consultation process with relevant organizations and experts before selecting eight gates of the highest historical, artistic and academic significance.

"Through the fresh designation, we want to shed light on those relatively overlooked cultural heritages. We expect the renewed attention can lead to protection and appreciation of those cultural assets," the CHA said.

Of the eight gates, four — Songgwang Temple's Geumgangmun in Wanju County, North Jeolla Province, Beopju Temple's Cheonwangmun in Boeun County, North Chungcheong Province, Songgwang Temple's Sacheonwangmun in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, and Hwaeom Temple's Cheonwangmun in Gurye County, South Jeolla Province — were burnt to ashes following the 1592-98 Japanese invasions of Joseon and the Qing invasion in the 1630s and later reconstructed by Byeokam Gakseong, a revered monk, and his disciples.

The landmarks have great cultural value since they demonstrate the construction methods of temples in the latter part of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, the CHA said.

Beopju Temple's Cheonwangmun, estimated to be built in the early 17th century, is the largest gate of its kind in Korea.

Tongdo Temple's Cheonwangmun in South Gyeongsang Province, also being designated as a national treasure, is a rare piece of work with its year of reconstruction clearly stated, recorded as being burnt down in 1713 and rebuilt the next year.

Also being designated is Bulgap Temple's Cheonwangmun in South Jeolla Province, which preserves its original late 1700s architectural style despite undergoing multiple repair jobs.