Bunhwangsa, Buddhist temple in Wolseong-dong, South Korea

Bunhwangsa is a Buddhist temple in Gyeongju, South Korea, whose stone pagoda is the oldest dated pagoda of the Silla Kingdom. Built from black andesite cut like brick, it stands three tiers high; ancient records state it originally had nine stories. Each side has a doorway flanked by guardian figures, and granite lotus blossoms adorn the structure.

The temple was founded in 634 during the Silla Kingdom and ranked among the principal Buddhist sites of that era. Over the centuries it suffered damage and partial restoration, yet it remained an active religious site.

Stone lion figures sit at the corners of the pagoda base and are still visible today, placed there as guardians in Korean Buddhist tradition. Visitors can walk around the base and observe these figures up close.

The temple is centrally located in Gyeongju and easy to reach on foot from the historic city center. Visiting early in the morning gives more space to explore the grounds and the pagoda at a relaxed pace.

The 1915 excavation by a Japanese team opened a sarira relic box between the pagoda's second and third tiers, holding the cremated remains of a priest. Alongside it lay gold and stone ornaments, coins, scissors and a needle, objects suggesting a woman of royal blood, perhaps Queen Seondeok herself, once owned them.