Dabotap, Stone pagoda at Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, South Korea.
Dabotap is a 10.29 m stone pagoda at Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, standing east of Seokgatap in the courtyard between Daeungjeon Hall and Jahamun Gate. Its cross-shaped platform has a staircase on each of the four sides, and four plain square pillars carry the first flat roof. Above rise diminishing tiers ringed by stone balustrades, ending in an octagonal cap with upturned edges.
The pagoda was built in the 8th century during the Unified Silla period. In 1925, Japanese authorities dismantled and reconstructed the entire structure, significantly altering its original form.
This pagoda represents the Buddha of Many Treasures from the Lotus Sutra and stands opposite Seokgatap in front of the main temple hall. Visitors can observe how the two structures work together as an important place of worship within the temple grounds.
The pagoda is located within the Bulguksa Temple complex and is easily accessible by public bus from downtown Gyeongju. The temple grounds have ample parking and marked pathways that help visitors navigate to the pagoda and surrounding structures.
Of the four stone lions that once guarded the tops of the staircases, only one remains on the pagoda. A second is said to be held at the British Museum in London, while the whereabouts of the other two are unknown. The surviving lion sits on a ledge between the front pillars of the lower roof.
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