A Study of the Aspects of the Stone Pagodas at Unjusa Temple in Hwasun as Seen in Research Materials from the 1910s

Unjusa Temple in Hwasun is a cultural heritage site with no precedent in the history of Korean Buddhist art. The temple, known for its numerous stone pagodas, represents the realization of Goryeo Dynasty religious beliefs through stone pagodas. It exemplifies a unique style of Goryeo stone pagodas distinct from the traditional Silla-style pagodas. The earliest academic research records on the stone pagodas at Unjusa Temple are known as the “Remains of the Dapyeong Pagodas in Jeollanam-do (全羅南道多塔峰の遺蹟),” published by Nomura Yoshihumi in August 1940. However, recently uncovered documents from the National Museum of Korea and the Museum of the Japanese Governor-General of Korea have confirmed that a comprehensive survey of the site was conducted around 1910. These documents establish connections between photographs previously known from the Japanese colonial period, particularly those found in the “Ancient Relics Maps and Photos of the Joseon Dynasty (朝鮮古蹟圖譜)” and the glass plate photos from the Japanese colonial period preserved in the collection of the National Museum of Korea. This paper investigates and summarizes the survey history of the stone pagodas at Unjusa Temple, beginning with Sekino Tadashi’s “Survey of the 43rd Year of the Meiji Era on the Remains of Korea (明治43年度 朝鮮遺蹟調査略報告)” (1910), conducted by the Finance Department of the Japanese Resident-General's Office in August 1909. It also examines the “Remains of the Dapyeong Pagodas in Jeollanam-do (全羅南道多塔峰の遺蹟),” published with photographs taken by Yatsui Seiitsu, a participant in the survey. The study includes an analysis of the “Original Photographic Negatives (Jeollanam-do Province)” from the fourth historical records survey conducted by Torii Ryuzo in 1914 under the Korean Governor-General's Education Bureau, as well as the glass photo plates from the Japanese colonial period held by the National Museum of Korea. Additionally, it examines data from the 1917 survey of historic sites and relics in Hwasun-gun and the “Historic Sites and Relics Logbook (古蹟及遺物臺 帳).” Furthermore, changes in the stone pagodas of Unjusa Temple were assessed by comparing the “Jeollanam-do’s Original Registration Document Five (全羅南道 登錄原稿 五),” created in 1917, and the “Datapbong Peak’s Photo Original Plate List (多塔峯寫眞原板⽬錄),” compiled in 1919, with the original plates. This analysis confirms that the existing stone pagodas at Unjusa Temple are cultural heritage artifacts that demonstrate authenticity and integrity, having maintained their original forms since at least the 1910s.