In his foreword, author Sung-woo Kim says, All people seek after truth. They seek the truth that will explain life and death and help them to make the best of themselves. With Buddhist Architecture of Korea, temples that have dotted the Korean peninsula for almost 2,000 years are examined in great detail, including the role they have played in helping Koreans on their own quest for truth. Buddhist architecture is an integral part of its iconography, making this book indispensable.

The Secret Spirit of Korean Architecture is a response to the growing international interest in Korean architecture, its tangible historical and contemporary forms, and a multidisciplinary contribution to the discourse that has resulted in new writing and audiovisual materials exploring principal features and themes, materials, techniques and methodologies particular to the genre. Korean architecture can rightly be seen as one of the best kept secrets of East Asian cultures and civilisations. While aspects of Korean art have become increasingly popular worldwide, Korean architecture remains unknown outside the circle of specialists and visitors to the country. This volume is an edited compilation of Kim Bongryol's acclaimed writings that appeared originally in Korean. The author holds forth on a range of subjects that are beyond the scope of architecture but may be familiar to students of East Asian art and material culture, art history and history in general. At the same time he invites the reader to contemplate ideas that are particular to Korea and Korean architecture. While dealing with histories of the architectural landmarks chosen for discussion, the author surprises the reader with some of the most intimate minutiae of information about people and communities involved in the planning and development of these buildings. He is not content with extolling the attibutes of architectural treasures under his scrutiny and proceeds further to examine and bring into a sharper relief the human dimension behind the existence of these treasures, engaging the reader with eloquent yet piquant passages on that essential aspect of the processes at work in world architecture. Kim Bongryol does not wish his audience to remain in thrall of the remarkable achievements in Korean architecture; instead he wants the reader to appreciate Korean architecture in the dual context of Korean history and contemporary society. -- from back cover.

When Seon (Zen) Buddhism was first introduced to Korea around Korea’s late Silla and early Goryeo eras, the function of the “beopdang” (Dharma hall) was transfused to the lecture hall found in ancient Buddhist temples, establishing a pivotal area within the temple compound called the “upper monastic area.” By exploring the structural formation and dissolution of the upper monastic area, the author shows how Korea established its own distinctive Seon temples, unlike those of China and Japan, in the course of assimilating a newly-introduced foreign culture as its own. To accomplish this, the author analyzed the inscriptions on stone monuments which recorded the lives of eminent monks and also numerous excavated temple ruins. These analyses give us a new perspective on the evolution of the upper monastic area, which had the beopdang as its center, at a time when early Seon temples were being established under very adverse and unstable circumstances. The exploration of the spatial organization and layout of Korean Seon temple architecture has illuminated the continuity between Korean Buddhist temples of both the ancient and medieval eras.

Having traveled extensively throughout South Korea, Dale Quarrington reveals a side of Korean Buddhism that is often misunderstood or unknown. In Korean Temples: Art, Architecture and History, he takes a look at the twenty-five most influential temples throughout the Korean peninsula. By exploring the art, architecture and history of South Korea's most famous temples, he introduces the intricacies and beauty of South Korean Buddhism.

In his foreword, author Sung-woo Kim says, All people seek after truth. They seek the truth that will explain life and death and help them to make the best of themselves. With Buddhist Architecture of Korea, temples that have dotted the Korean peninsula for almost 2,000 years are examined in great detail, including the role they have played in helping Koreans on their own quest for truth. Buddhist architecture is an integral part of its iconography, making this book indispensable.

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"The volume thoroughly examines the origins and principal types of Buddhist architecture in Asia primarily between the third century BCE-twelfth century CE with an emphasis on India. It aims to construct shared architectural traits and patterns alongwith the derivative relationships between Indian and Asian Buddhist monuments. It also discusses the historical antecedents in the Indus Civilization and the religious and philosophical foundations of the three schools of Buddhism and its founder, Buddha. Previously obscure topics such as Aniconic and Vajrayana (Tantric) architecture and the four holiest sites of Buddhism will also be covered in this comprehensive volume. The author further investigates the influences of Buddhist architecture upon Islamic, Christian, and Hindu architecture that have been overlooked by past scholars."

This book offers an introduction to Korea's abundant and unique architectural past and present, combining explanations of the principles behind Korean architecture with introductions to some of the country's finest buildings and structures. It explains some of the ideologies and perspectives that form the foundation of Korean architectural tradition and outlines the history of Korean architecture, from the first architectural traces of dugouts and lean-tos to the increasingly sophisticated wooden frames and technologies. It offers a brief introduction to the basic elements, construction process, structural anatomy, and materials used in building a Korean traditional architecture. The book also highlights ten of Korea's best-known and most significant traditional buildings, ranging from Buddhist temples to royal palaces, Confucian royal shrines, landscaped literati gardens to "Enlightenment"-era fortresses. Korea's early modern architecture—a period from the colonial domination by Japan into the mid-20th century—is also examined.