Seokguram Grotto

Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea

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Seokguram Grotto, near Gyeongju in South Korea's North Gyeongsang Province, is an 8th-century artificial cave temple carved into Mount Tohamsan, constructed around 751-774 during the Silla Kingdom by Prime Minister Kim Daeseong to honor his parents' spirits from past and present lives, forming a UNESCO World Heritage pair with nearby Bulguksa Temple.

Its granite rotunda houses a masterful 3.45-meter seated Buddha statue in bhumisparsha mudra facing east toward the sea, surrounded by 40 reliefs and statues of bodhisattvas, arhats, and guardians on walls and niches under a lotus-adorned dome, symbolizing the path to Nirvana through an antechamber, corridor, and circular chamber without mortar but using stone rivets and natural ventilation. 

Restored in the 20th century with protective glass and humidity controls after weathering, it exemplifies Silla Buddhist artistry influenced by Indian and Chinese caves, drawing pilgrims for sunrise views and serene spiritual reflection.