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Seven-story Pagoda in Chong¡¯wonsa Temple
Name: Seven-story Pagoda in Chong¡¯wonsa Temple
Designation: Kyonggido tangible cultural property No. 116
Period: Koryo
Location: 357 Song¡¯un-ri, Won¡¯gok-myon
Owner: Chong¡¯wonsa Temple
Material: Granite
Size: 3.45m high
 

This pagoda is located in front of the main hall of Chong¡¯wonsa Temple, where a great deal of sutras in gold and silver can be found. From their contents, the sutras are assumed to have been made in the late Koryo period. However, it¡¯s not certain whether Chong¡¯wonsa Temple was built at the same time. The decorations of this seven-story pagoda, such as the lotus petal patterns and eye shape designs on the pedestal, show the typical style of Koryo pagodas. The pedestal is double-layered. A square block of stone that can be considered as the lower pedestal is set on the foundation stone, which is almost buried in the ground. The lower flat top stone, composed of three rectangular blocks, is decorated with four eye shape designs engraved in two intaglio lines for each side surface. Five lotus petal patterns decorate the upper surface of it across the pedestal. The style of the slightly tilted lotus petal patterns, typical of the Koryo period, gives an important clue in determining its age. The surface of the second pedestal is constructed with four stone slabs; the front one is long and those on both sides are short. The flat top stone on it is a large stone slab decorated with five lotus petal patterns, which are almost the same as those on the lower flat top stone, on each of the upper and lower surfaces. Its four side surfaces also have four eye shape designs for each side. They are similar to those on other pagodas in Kyonggi Province. The body of the first story is low and adorned with corner posts expressed in double lines. The roof stone looks peculiar without any support. The bodies and roofs of the seven stories are formed in almost the same shape, becoming successively smaller at a low rate. The pagoda is characteristic of those of the Koryo period, especially in Kyonggi Province.