Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks

Map

The Preservation of Knowledge: Haeinsa Temple's Janggyeong Panjeon and the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks

The Haeinsa Temple, nestled within the serene Gayasan National Park in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of preservation and dedication that characterizes the Jogye Order of Korean Seon Buddhism. This temple, serving as the order's headquarter, is globally recognized due to its unique housing of the Tripitaka Koreana, a comprehensive collection of Buddhist scriptures meticulously carved onto 81,350 wooden printing blocks. The Janggyeong Panjeon, the depositories built specifically to safeguard this priceless cultural heritage, further solidifies Haeinsa Temple's significance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The Temple of Haeinsa, on Mount Gaya, is home to the Tripitaka Koreana , the most complete collection of Buddhist texts, engraved on 80,000 woodblocks between 1237 and 1248. The buildings of Janggyeong Panjeon, which date from the 15th century, were constructed to house the woodblocks, which are also revered as exceptional works of art. As the oldest depository of the Tripitaka , they reveal an astonishing mastery of the invention and implementation of the conservation techniques used to preserve these woodblocks.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (iv): The depositories of the Haeinsa Temple are unique both in terms of their antiquity so far as this specialized type of structure is concerned, and also for the remarkably effective solutions developed in the 15th century to address the problem of storing and conserving the 80,000 woodblocks used to print the Buddhist scriptures (Tripitaka Koreana) against deterioration.

Criterion (vi): The Janggyeong Panjeon and its unique collection of 13th century Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks, outstanding for their artistry and excellent execution of engraving techniques, occupy an exceptional position in the history of Buddhism as the most complete and accurate corpus of Buddhist doctrinal texts in the world.

Encyclopedia Record: Haeinsa

Haeinsa (Korean: 해인사) is a Buddhist temple in Gayasan National Park, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Seon Buddhism. Haeinsa is most notable for being the home of the Tripitaka Koreana, the whole of the Buddhist Scriptures carved onto 81,350 wooden printing blocks, which it has housed since 1398.

Read more on Wikipedia