Heungdeoksa Temple, the Birthplace of Jikji
Explore the Heungdeoksa Temple where Jikji the world's oldest movable metal type book was published
Also, the fact that Jikji simche yojeol was printed using the movable metal type at the temple allow us to presume the kinds of activities the Buddist monks have been engaged in back then and the high level of skills they’ve achieved in casting and paper making.
Cover of JikjiCheongju Early Printing Museum
The oldest extant book printed with movable metal type
Jikji is a book printed in Heungdeoksa Temple in Cheongju using moveable metal type in 1377. The full title is Baegun hwasang chorok buljo jikji simche yojeol while it called by several abbreviated titles including Buljo jikji simche yojeol.
JikjiCheongju Early Printing Museum
Jikji, a book composed of important teachings of Buddhas and patriarchs, just like other old books, has publication information on the last page of the book including the date and place of publication.
Thanks to this short line 'in the seventh jeongsa month of the seventh year of emperor Seonkwang, the book was printed using metal type in Heungdeuksa Temple in the outskirt of Cheongju Mok', Jikji is confirmed as the world's first book printed with movable metal type in 1377.
The relationship between Jikji and HeungdeoksaCheongju Early Printing Museum
Heungdeoksa, the Beginning of Jikji -Trends in development of Buddhsim in the Cheongju area during the late Goryo Dynasty.
The relationship between Jikji and HeungdeoksaCheongju Early Printing Museum
Heungdeoksa, the Beginning of Jikji - Relationship between Jikji and Heungdeoksa Temple.
Ridge-end roof tile at the Main hall of HeungdeoksaCheongju Early Printing Museum
Discovery of the Heungdeoksa Temple Site
Amid an excavation survey in 1984, a cornerstone, roof tiles and some potteries were discovered from Uncheon-dong address no. 515-1 and reported by a resident, revealing the site of Heungdeok Temple to the world.
Excavation site of Heungdeoksa Temple site
Bronze gongCheongju Early Printing Museum
A piece of a gong inscribed with ‘Seowonbu Heungdeoksa’ was discovered. As the Heungdeoksa Temple inscribed on the gong was identified as the Heongdeoksa Temple where Jikji was printed, the news spread quickly through various media outlets.
Roof tile of Gyehyangjisa Temple (통일신라)Cheongju Early Printing Museum
Heungdeoksa Temple built in Goryeo architectural style
Roof tiles inscribed with ‘dae jung sam nyeon’ was also uncovered during the excavation. ‘dae jung sam nyeon’ refers to year 849, which indicates that Heundeoksa Temple was built prior to or on year 849 and lasted until late Goryeo period when Jikji was printed.
Drawing on excavationCheongju Early Printing Museum
The overall layout of the buildings show jung-mun- the inner gate-, the Main Hall and the Lecture Hall aligned from south to north direction, with corridors built as an independnet buildings located east and west of the Lecture Hall.
Site of the Main Hall, Site of the Lecture Hall, Site of the West Corridor
Tap to explore
The Heungdeuksa Temple site now has been restored with the reconstructed Main Hall the three-story pagoda. The Corridor site and the Lecture Hall site have been restored by filling soil and planting grass. The layout of the temple fits the 'one pagoda, one main hall style.'
Main hall of Heungdeoksa temple (front)Cheongju Early Printing Museum
The Main Hall of Heungdeoksa Temple is presumed to have taken the ‘gagu’ style stylobate, in which the cornerstone plane below the columns are five levels in the front and three levels on the sides.
Main Hall of Heungdeoksa TempleCheongju Early Printing Museum
The present reconstructed Main Hall was built in vairous archtectural styles of Goryeo displaying very sharp angled rafter where eaves meet and the outer purlin where rafter is to be placed extends out.
Main Hall of Heungdeoksa TempleCheongju Early Printing Museum
In order to supplement some awkard features, the present building is applied with a structural format of 2 goju 9 ryang-ga, modified from 2 goju 5 ryang-ga.
Site of the main hall of Heungdeoksa Temple siteCheongju Early Printing Museum
Two pedestal stones for Buddha statue and pieces of steel-made Buddha hair curls were discovered from the Heungdeksa Temple site.
Pedestal stones for Buddha statueCheongju Early Printing Museum
The stones imply the possibility of a seated Buddha statue and pieces of steel-made Buddha hair curls suggest that the size of the Buddha statue was large and the mateiral was steel.
The Prestigious Factors of Buddhism in Cheongju Heungdeoksa TempleCheongju Early Printing Museum
The prestigious factors of Buddhism in Cheongju Heungdeoksa Temple
Although there is scarcity of material informing us about the ideological background of Heungdeoksa Temple, in the epitaph of Haeyong, a high priest of Beopsangjong sect, there is a verse “ daegu donghwasa Hongjin gukjon jineung topbi(大邱桐華寺弘眞國尊眞應塔碑)”, meaning that Haeyoung passed the state monk exam at the age of 17 (in 1245) and stayed in Heungdeoksa Temple for the first time. This implies the relationship Heungdeoksa Temple has with Beopsangjong sect.
Since there is a record that Haeyong became famous after taking 100 copying monks to China in the 16th year of king Chungryeol(1290 A.D.) and presenting “geumja beophwagyung” (Forbidden Lotus Sutra) to emperor Sejo of Yuan Dynasty, it can be posited that the priting of Buddhism sutra carried out at Heungdeoksa Temple was perforned in line with the sutra copying tradition of the Beopsangjong sect.
Resources: Cheongju Early Printing Museum, Cheongju University Museum, Chungbuk University Museum and Cheongju National Musuem
* This online exhibition is created for Jikji Festival in 2022.
