Global Treasures: Pulguk-Sa

Television Director: Ullman, Frank

Producer: Scarson, Peter O.

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Catalogue Number: GTR-DVD-1279

UPC: 883629689340

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Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

At the foot of Mount Tohamsan in the region of Gyeongju is South Korea's impressive Bulguksa "Pulguk-Sa" Temple. In the middle of the 8th century, while under the rule of Silla monarch King Gyeongdeok, the sanctuary was enlarged with various fine buildings.

In 774 AD, the beautifully decorated temple was given its name of Bulguksa, "the Temple Of Buddha Land." During the 500 years of the Goryeo Dynasty, several kings influenced the buildings of the Bulguksa Temple, thus its architecture is something of a mixture. In the first courtyard of the temple complex there are some fine stone pagodas, particularly the three-story-high Dabotap Pagoda.

The original beauty of the buildings has withstood the often violent history of South Korea, and Bulguksa Temple is still regarded both as a masterpiece of Buddhist art and the home of many of Korea's national treasures.