Deokjusa Temple Rock-Carved Standing Buddha (Deokjusa Maaebul)

Deokjusa Temple is said to have been founded by Princess Deokju, the sister of Prince Maui, the last prince of Silla. Located on the southern foot of Woraksan Mountain, the temple is divided into two hermitages, called Sangdeokjusa and Hadeokjusa. Sangdeokjusa, where the Deokjusa Rock-Carved Standing Buddha is located, was burned down during the Korean War, and now only the site of the main hall in front of the rock-carved Buddha remains. Following the hiking trail up to Mansubong Peak of Woraksan Mountain for about an hour, near the summit there is a high stone-terraced platform, and on the large, flat rock face in front of it, the rock-carved standing Buddha is engraved. The height is a full 13 meters. While the face protrudes prominently, the body is carved only in lines. The exaggerated facial expression is a technique commonly seen in large Buddhist statues of the Goryeo period. The body carved in lines shows a distorted expression that does not preserve the sculptural characteristics of the human form. It appears to have been made under the trend of creating large Buddhist statues in the early Goryeo period. The plump face, the increasingly simplified sculptural technique toward the lower body, and the flat body are main features of Buddhist statues of that time. Deokjusa Temple also houses several other Buddhist cultural properties.

Address: 87, Mireuksonggye-ro 2-gil, Hansu-myeon, Jecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do