A pagoda is a multi tiered tower with many eaves. A few pagodas have been preserved in South Korea. Let’s take a look at some of these Korean pagodas :

Wongaksa Pagoda (원각사지십층석탑) is twelve meters high and from the late 1400s. Wongaksa Pagoda is one of the few pagodas in Korea that is made of marble and contained in a protective glass barrier. The Pagoda is decorated with lotus flowers, lush ferns lions, dragons, Buddhas, phoenixes, and mythological kings.

Only three stories of the Bunhwangsa Seoktap (분황사석탑) remain today, but at one time it may have been nine stories high. ‘Bunhwansa’ means “fragrant emperor temple” and ‘Seoktap’ means “pagoda”. Several items like gold and stone ornaments and the remains of a cremated priest were found within the pagoda. There are two figures that guard the doorway of the pagoda.

Dabotap (다보탑) is a stone pagoda with four stairways leading the eye to the top of the pagoda, and four pillars to support the roof of the pagoda. The roof is octagonal in shape and the total length of the pagoda is about ten meters high. Dabotap is very decorative and symbolizes the complexity of the earthly world.

Seokgatap (석가탑) is in contrast with dabotap in that seokgatap is simple and not ornate. Seokgatap is supposed to represent the simplicity of the spiritual world. Seokgatap was built with symmetry and balance. From the bottom of the Pagoda to the top, the eaves get smaller in a 4:3:2 ratio to preserve a sense of proportion.

Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda (경천사십층석탑) is thirteen meters tall and made in the 1300s. It is made from marble, which is unusual in that it is not made of granite. Many Korean pagodas are made of stone or granite, but not this one. The Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda is geometrical, with eaves pointing towards all four sides.