Historical Meaning of the Site Layout of Koguryo Buddhist Temples of the 5^th Century compared to the Excavated Cases of Chinese Temples

중국 사례와의 비교를 통해 본 5세기 고구려 사지의 역사적 의미

Excavated information of Buddhist temples of Koguryo built during the $5^{th}$ century, have been roughly understood to be a kind of continuation of Chinese trend of Buddhist architecture. However, recent excavation report of Chinese temples of the 5-6th century, casts quite different possibility of interpretation. Since no evidence of octagonal pagoda and two image halls on each side of central pagoda, which are the two key features of Koguryo sites, were not found in Chinese cases, it seems quite evident that Koguryo sites were not generated after the Chinese pattern, but created by Koguryo. It is possible for Koguryo, to adopt foreign influence such as Indian circular stupa or the system of East and West halls on each side of central hall in palace architecture, however, Even if Koguryo people adopted such aspects, they must have interpreted them in their own way to be able to create entirely new pattern of Buddhist temple. It is quite clear that Koguryo temples sites of the $5^{th}$ century, is not continuation of Chinese model but creation of Koguryo's own. This fact imply that the ancient Buddhist architectures of Korean peninsula as a whole needs to be reinterpreted since temples sites of Paekche and Silla, as well, employed the pattern of 3 imge hall which so unique development of Koguryo.