Over 1600 Year-Old Kwangbop Temple -- National Heritage Site​

 

Kwangbop Temple is housed at the foot of picturesque Mt Taesong in Pyongyang.

The Buddhist temple dates back to 392, one of early years of the Buddhist practices in Korea, when Kwanggaetho, the 24th king of Koguryo (B.C. 277 - A.D. 668) ruled the kingdom.

It was repaired in 1727 during the feudal Joson dynasty.

The temple was completely destroyed by the enemy's barbarous bombing during the Fatherland Liberation War in the 1950s but was rebuilt to its original glory in 1990.

The heritage site comprises a gate, Chonwang Gate where four guardians are enshrined, an octagonal five-storey pagoda and the Main Sanctuary along the main axis, being flanked by the east and west shrines.

The Main Sanctuary is a brightly painted two-storey building with gable roof, and housed in it are three Buddas.

Standing on both sides of the gate are sculptures of young boys on an elephant and a lion.

The granite octagonal pagoda imposingly stands in the center of the site, in good harmony with the surrounding buildings.

A pond and a monument to Kwangbop Temple built in 1727 can be found in the site.

The precious cultural heritage well showcasing the architectural development of Koguryo is now under good preservation.

President Kim Il Sung personally visited the temple in February Juche 80 (1991) and expressed satisfaction over its rehabilitation on the principle of historicism. He called for preserving all the historical relics and remains in the country as valuable assets inspiring national pride and self-esteem.