Palsangjeon

Palsangjeon
Palsangjeon five story wooden pagoda at Beopjusa.
Korean name
Hangul	팔상전
Hanja	捌相殿
Revised Romanization	Palsangjeon
McCune–Reischauer	P'alsangjŏn

Palsangjeon (Hall of Eight Pictures) is a worship hall found on a Korean Buddhist temple complex that contains the "Palsang", the series of painted murals depicting the eight stages in the life of the historic Buddha, Sakyamuni.

Though configurations for the paintings can vary, the most common is:

Palsang can also be found painted on the external walls of a temple worship hall. These external renderings tend to be less ornate than those contained within the walls of a Palsangjeon.

Beopjusa Palsangjeon (Hall of Eight Pictures) at Beopjusa (temple) 36°32′31″N 127°50′00″E / 36.5419412°N 127.8332555°E / 36.5419412; 127.8332555, believed to be the oldest in Korea, is one of only two wooden pagodas left in Korea, the other being the Daeungjeon at Ssangbongsa.

Although all historical records have been lost, two inscriptions were discovered during a major restoration completed in 1968, indicating Beopjusa Palsangjeon was originally built at the time of the founding of Beopjusa in 553. But like many other wooden buildings, was destroyed by the Japanese during the Seven-Year War. Rebuilding began in 1605 and was completed 21 years later in 1626. The dates of the rebuilding come from inscriptions on a sarira casket and roof that were discovered when the building went through an extensive renovation in 1968.

The pagoda at 22.7 m (74 ft) in height and its base covers an area of 8 square meters (86 square feet) is the highest in Korea. The eight painted panels depicting the life of Buddha adorn the four interior walls. A sarira containing relics of the Buddha or a holy person, a shrine for the Buddha, and an area for meditation also occupy the interior.