Seokguram Grotto
Seokguram Grotto is a rock temple revered by Buddhists located on the grounds of Pulguksa Monastery in South Korea, symbolizing the soul’s journey to Nirvana. The Buddhist shrine was built between 742 and 774, during the heyday of the Silla Kingdom of Korea. The artificial grotto was carved entirely in solid granite, and this makes it unique among other rock temples in the world. Since 1995, the Korean landmark has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Video: Pulguksa Monastery and Seokkuram Grotto
General Information
Sokkuram Grotto faces towards the East Sea and is located on the slope of Mount Thohamsan, at an altitude of 750 meters. It was originally named “Seokpulsa”, which means “Temple of the Stone Buddha” in Korean. Nowadays, Seokkuram Grotto is one of the most visited places in South Korea. From the archway entrance, tourists enter the rectangular front hall, which represents the earth. Along a long bas-relief decorated corridor, they reach the main hall, which symbolizes the sky.
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The center of the grotto is occupied by a large statue of a seated Buddha, around which are depicted ancient Indian gods, arhats and bodhisattvas. There are 10 statues in niches near the walls of the main hall, and the ceiling is decorated with symbolic crescents and lotus flowers. The ancient rock temple has been rebuilt several times. The last time was in the 1960s. Today, the interior of the grotto is separated from visitors by a glass partition.
.The territory of the monastery is open to tourists: from November to January – from 7.00 to 17.00, from February to the first half of March and in October – from 7.00 to 17.30, and from mid-March to September – from 7.00 to 18.00.
.How to get there
Seokkuram Grotto is located on Mount Thohamsan, 13 kilometers southeast of the South Korean city of Gyeongju, in the Pulguksa Monastery Complex. There are buses from Gyeongju train station to Pulguksa. A shuttle bus also runs once an hour to the rock temple from the monastery.
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