Mangdeoksa Temple Site

In an open meadow at the foot of Nangsan in Gyeongju, only foundation stones and a pair of stone pillars remain of a temple. The Mangdeoksa Temple Site belongs to a temple that, legend says, Silla built to fool a Tang Chinese envoy, and it faces the Sacheonwangsa Temple Site across a single road. The buildings are long gone, but the ground plan of a classic Unified Silla temple can still be read clearly on the site.

A temple built to deceive Tang China

The Samguk Yusa tells the story. When Tang China threatened to invade Silla in 679, Silla built Sacheonwangsa below Nangsan to repel the attack through the power of the Buddha. When word of this reached the Tang court, an envoy was sent to inspect the temple, and Silla hurriedly built a new one opposite Sacheonwangsa and showed him that instead. It was named Mangdeoksa, "the temple that looks up to virtue", as if honouring the Tang. Tradition dates its founding to the reign of King Munmu or King Sinmun, and the flagpole supports are thought to have been raised with the temple around 685.

More stories cling to the site. In 755 the temple's pagoda was said to shake just as the An Lushan Rebellion broke out in China, which people took as a sign of the temple's ties to the Tang. Another tale tells how King Hyoso failed to recognise the true Buddha at the temple's dedication feast and was put to shame, and another of the monk Seonyul, who died while copying the Prajnaparamita Sutra and came back to life to finish it. Mangdeoksa ranked with Hwangnyongsa, Sacheonwangsa and Hwangboksa among the important temples of the Silla capital.

What to see

• Twin-pagoda layout: The sites of the east and west wooden pagodas survive, with the main hall and lecture hall to the north, the middle gate to the south and the cloister surrounding them all. It is a textbook example of the Unified Silla plan with two pagodas side by side.
• Flagpole supports (Treasure): On the west side of the site, under pine trees, two stone pillars stand 65 cm apart. They once held the pole for the banner raised during temple ceremonies; they carry no carving, but their edges taper towards the top, giving them a neat, dignified look.
• Stairway site: South of the middle gate, the remains of a stone stairway are well preserved.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 20–30 minutes for the site itself. Add the Sacheonwangsa site across the road and the Tomb of Queen Seondeok in the Nangsan woods and you need around 1.5 hours.
• Getting there: The site is about 2 km south-east of Gyeongju National Museum, an easy ride by bicycle or taxi. It is an open-air site in a meadow with no admission fee.
• Combine with: Across the road, the Sacheonwangsa Temple Site is the state-protecting temple King Munmu completed in 679 after driving out the Tang forces; its bamboo grove, visible from afar, is a popular photo spot. Seeing the two sites together brings their intertwined story to life.
• When to go: There is almost no shade, so avoid midday in high summer. Late afternoon in spring or autumn, with the sun sinking behind the flagpole supports, is the best time.
• Good to know: Apart from information boards there are no facilities, so bring water. Do not stand on the foundation stones.