• Journal of architectural history
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.7-17
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• 2024

Bunhwangsa Stone Brick Pagoda, constructed in 634, is Korea's oldest stone pagoda. As a prototype of the Silla Stone Pagoda, the pagoda was constructed using flagstones. Since it was constructed with flagstones, it has been known to be a pagoda that replicates the brick pagoda until now. The latest research suggests that it copies the India Stupa or the Stacked Stone Pagoda more than the Brick Pagoda. However, the Bunhwangsa stone brick pagoda has a significant difference in terms of construction technique and shape compared to Brick Pagodas, India Stupas, and Stacked Stone Pagodas. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the stone building technique used in Silla. Through this study, I would like to clarify that the Bunhwangsa stone brick pagoda is a stone pagoda that creatively reflects the existing Silla stone building techniques such as stone fortresses and stone chamber tombs.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.39-54
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• 2011

The Bunhuangsa stone pagoda, constructed in AD. 634, National Treasure no. 30, has been named as 'brick-copied pagoda' since the Japanese-ruling period by scholars. It is said that the Chinese brick pagoda was its precedent model, however the Bunhuangsa Pagoda is the oldest of all the Chinese-style brick pagodas except one, the Sungaksa Pagoda. The Chinese pagoda cannot have been a precedent model to copy due to its complex detail of wood vestige, as the Bunhuangsa pagoda is simple form without ornament. Domestic brick pagodas cannot have been a precedent model to copy as well, because all the domestic brick pagodas are younger than the Bunhuangsa Pagoda. Therefore, the terminology 'brick-copied pagoda' is a fallacy; it is rather that later brick pagoda copied the precedent the Bunhuangsa stone pagoda. The Bunhuangsa Pagoda is simply a piled-up pagoda of thick or thin, big or small slates of stone, facing only one smooth side and therefore needing nothing to relate to brick. The originality of the pagoda is more related to simple piled-up Indian stone stupa rather than Chinese brick pagoda. The roof form of its gradually stepped projection comes from the harmika of the summit of Indian stupa. Contrary to general history, old Silla Dynasty imported Buddhism directly from India by sea. From written national history and by temple foundation history, the Indian Buddhism evangelist possibly made influence to the erecting of temple and pagoda. The original wrong terminology has made a harmful effect gradually to the naming of mass-styled stone pagoda of only carved stepped-roof form after brick-copied pagoda. The false term 'brick-copied pagoda' should be discarded, which comes with superficial observation based on toadyism to China and colonialism to Japan. Instead of the fallacious term, this paper suggests multi-storied 'piled-up pagoda with slate stone.'

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.81-88
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relations between brick and stone brick pagodas in all classes of pagoda with their construction and shape. Research objects of this study are brick and stone brick pagodas of National Treasure and Treasure and masonry pagodas that are similar to brick and stone brick pagoda. This study includes checking preceding researches, drawing questions from these preceding researches, and finding answers from these questions. The results of this study are as follows. First, pagoda of Bunhwangsa Temple, the first pagoda in the Silla Dynasty, was built as a masonry pagoda, not a stone brick pagoda. Second, roofs of stone brick pagoda barrows from brick pagoda's techniques for performance of material and ease construction. Third, brick or stone brick pagodas' base have Type II that has low and extensive foundation with soil and stones usually. Forth, Korean pagodas are categorized by their materials, construction methods, and shapes. Wooden pagodas, stone pagodas, and brick pagodas are categorized by materials, post-and lintel pagodas and masonry stone pagodas are categorized by construction methods, and pitched roof pagodas and terraced roof pagodas are categorized by shapes. Fifth, masonry pagodas of Buddhism that have shape of multi-story building were developed from Doltap, traditional stone stack, and they advanced with brick pagodas and stone pagodas to terraced roof stone pagodas and post-and lintel base brick pagodas.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.33-50
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• 2014

Formative and structural characteristics of stone pagoda in Jeonnam area are known in largely two flows. One is that characteristic of stone pagoda in Jeonnam area of the Unified Silla is shown in eastern Jeonnam and some southern Jeonnam. But it is not shown in surroundings of Yeongsan river. Another is that besides stone pagoda in Silla style where social aspects of Goryeo are reflected, stone pagoda in Baekje style appeared. On the other hand, stone brick pagoda and non-typical stone pagoda appeared. These stone pagodas were developed mainly in north and west of Jeonnam, and could be classified in pure Baekje style and a cross style according to formative and structural characteristics. Stone brick pagoda is extant in Wolnamsa site and Woonjusa in Chungcheong and Jella areas which are old places of Baekje.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.744-754
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• 2015

Buddhist temple construction at East Asia is considered one of the most important architecture activities together with the capital city and palace, where the pagoda is positioned at the center of a Buddhist temple as the most important element of Buddhist architecture enshrining Buddha's Sary. Accordingly, this study was performed to examine the procedure of how to build brick pagodas through the stone pagoda's internal structure between $7^{th}{\sim}9^{th}$ century while disassembling and repairing Andong Jotap-ri five-story brick pagoda. As a result, as the brick pagoda destruction phenomenon, there was a slip phenomenon by side forces, member's plastic temperature, and mixed material differences. Second, like a stone pagoda, brick pagoda is classified and constructed by the design and structural parts. According to the analysis, the design part is formed by the most edge brick, and the structure part places stone material at the buffer zone in the design brick from most edge brick and intra-center, i.e., at the space to support a side force while the top weight is vertically led. When building a brick pagoda, putting a wood pole at inside center plays the role as holding parts. In addition, the center axis is connected to the bottom of the steel pole hole, A steel pole hole has holes to safely settle down and decide the position. Because of them, the steel pole is self-loaded, which may be installed by wood rather than immovable steel.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.5369-5377
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• 2014

Korean pagodas were constructed in the shape of a wood pagoda, brick pagoda, stone pagoda, etc. On the other hand, the currently remaining traditional pagodas are those having nonflammable materials, such as brick, stone, etc. Compared to the stone pagoda, there is data regarding brick pagodas, but there is little literature data on how to construct these pagodas. This appears to be because there are relatively few Korean brick pagodas currently remaining, they are locally restricted, the material limit is not overcome, pagoda's historical and regional problems have not been analyzed, and pagoda construction is centered on pagoda construction. Therefore, this study examined the local cultural characteristics on the construction of brick pagodas. As a result, cultural exchange between Korea and China was performed through the silk road and there was a marine route for cultural exchange. Such exchange was shared with the East Asia area as well, which can be found by comparing remains at related areas. Exchange with China can be mentioned as the selective exchange of local powers as well as blind learning. Second, brick pagoda were constructed in Korea because of the good quality soil easily. Uisang's Hwaeomjong was negotiated with the main power not agreeing with Buddhism, which was popularized and the local power. Third, brick pagoda construction was influenced by negotiation related between Balhae and Silla, in which the ethnic influence was locally affected and could be mentioned as being a culturally selective result transferred from China. As a result, brick pagodas can be oriented by forming a unitary state rather than a small country within China's influence range as well as cultural transfer through the silk road.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.149-159
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• 2018

The Gyeongju Bunhwangsa Stone Brick Pagoda, which was built with bricks of andesite, is the oldest brick stone pagoda of Silla period. The damage patterns in the stone pagoda are pollutants such as white crust, black crust, discoloration, soil adsorption, and microorganisms, and repair materials. The damage pattern of structural factors in the Stone Brick Pagoda is a bulging phenomenon. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, white crust are mainly consist of calcite ($CaCO_3$) and thermonatrite ($Na_2CO_3{\cdot}H_2O$) that evaporite finds in nature. Damage pattern varies depending on location of stone pagoda. The pollutants are first story body of pagoda. The microorganisms are confirmed at base, lion statues, first and second story capstone, and repair materials observed at base. The bulging phenomenon appeared on the first story body of the pagoda. Occupancy rates by damage type were higher in the order of microorganisms, pollutants, repair material, bulging phenomenon, and peeling. The highest percentage of individual damage patterns were black microorganisms (39.3%), followed by lichen (17.9%), discoloration (8.0%), white crust (5.5%), cement mortar (5.1%) and peeling (3.1%).

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.35-54
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• 2010

This study aims to examine the development process of the early stone pagodas of Unified Silla. The history of stone pagodas traces back to both Baekje and Silla in the Three Kingdoms period, but the styles and structures of pagodas began differently. In other words, Baekje attempted to recreate the wooden pagoda style, while Silla attempted to recreate China' brick pagoda style. These different stone pagoda cultures, around the unification of Three Kingdoms, underwent new style changes, and after the mid-7th century, some changes in the five-storied stone pagodas in Tapri appeared, and the milestone perfection of Silla's stone pagodas was achieved through those of Gameusa Temple and Goseonsa Temple. After the mid-7th century, Silla's stone pagodas accommodated some of Baekje's wooden pagodas' elements, shifted from the wooden pagoda style and developed into its own stone pagoda style. This is shown in numerous stone pagodas. However, in Silla's stone pagodas, including the three-storied stone pagoda in Hwagboksa Temple in 692, the size of the pagoda became small and underwent sudden changes. In other words, a new direction of Silla stone pagodas was presented in terms of how massive stones could be reduced, but they differed only in the reduced stone amount; the basic developed style of the Gameunsa Temple stone pagoda and the Goseonsa Temple stone pagoda inherited the traditional style. Thus, the construction of these two pagodas is considered to be significant in the Silla's history of stone pagodas.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.154-169
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• 2009

Korea is famous for a number of stone pagodas. In particular, it is noticeable that the stone pagodas came after wooden pagodas in all the Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Since the advent of wooden pagodas, it was during the latter half period of Three Kingdoms(especially, in the early Seventh century) that the first stone pagoda appeared at Mireuksa Temple site in imitation of the wooden ones. Now that no one can deny that Korean stone pagodas have developed, imitating the wooden pagodas. It is also obvious that the Stone Pagoda at Mireuksa site is the prototype of Korean stone pagodas. However, this study casts doubt on the theory that the stone pagodas in the Silla Kingdom originated not from the wooden pagodas, but from the brick pagodas, whereas the stone pagodas in Baekje Kingdom which has been said to come from the wooden ones. The fact that the temples and pagodas in both Baekje and Silla were erected by the same builders and technicians is one of the evidences supporting the assertion of the study. This study, accordingly, examines on the origin of the Silla pagodas by supposing the two genealogies. The first one can be summarized in chronological order as follows: starting from wooden pagodas, Stone Pagoda at Mireuksa site, Stone Pagoda at Jungrimsa site, Stone Pagoda at Gameunsa site, and Stone Pagoda at Goseonsa site. The second one, on the other hand, runs as follows: starting from bick pagodas, Stone Pagoda at Bunhwangsa, Uiseong Tapri five-storied Stone Pagoda, Seonsan Jukjang-ri five-storied Stone Pagoda, and Seonsan Naksan-ri three-storied Stone Pagoda in order. As the above genealogies show, the origin of the stone pagodas has been an controversy, especially because of the two different points of view: the one is that the roof-supporting strata(Okgaesuk-Bachim) originated from the brick structure and the ancient tomb ceiling of Goguryeo Kingdom, and the other is that the strata is a sort of the simplified design of the wooden roof structure. This study, however, takes note of the difference in length of the strata between the brick pagodas and the stone pagodas; the former stretches out its strata longer than the latter. Consequently, the study points out that the roof-supporting strata of the stone pagodas is originally a sort of modification of the wooden roof structure.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.93-112
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• 1995

The wooden pagoda was first appeared in about late 4th century in Korea. And between the late 6th century and the eary 7th centry, the multistoried wooden pagoda was replaced with the stone pagodas, in order to improve their stability and durability. In Three-kingdom and Unificated-Silla period, there are two types of stone stupas in Korea. The one is Paekche(百濟)style, and the other is Silla(新羅) style stone pagoda. These two styles are basically different in each part like podium, roof stone, body stone, structure and the others. Two types of stupas are distributed in two regions which devided into the East(Silla territory) and West(Paekche territory) in the Korean peninsular. The origin of the Korean stone pagoda can be traced to the Paekche dynasty and Silla dynasty. The former were the result of the careful study of their skillful wooden pagodas, where the latter were actualy originated from copying their sundried brick pagodas with stone. Two important pagodas of the primitive stage are the stone pagoda of Miruksa(彌勒寺) temple in Iksan and Bunhwangsa(芬皇寺) temple in Kyungju. These two pagodas are compared with each other in the style of their construction. Silla style have sharp straight lines and short distance between roof stone and eaves. They give us strong as well as intelletural feeling. Howerever, Paekche style has curved lines and dull angles of cutting area of stone, they give us soft feeling.