Remains of Unified Silla Dynasty Temple Buildings Confirmed on Heuksando Island, Sinan-gun

Huksando Musimsaji Excavation Site Advisory Committee Meeting Held

Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Park Woo-ryang) announced on the 19th that the on-site advisory committee for the excavation of the Husimsa Temple site on Heuksando Island was held at the excavation site on the 14th.

The Husimsa Temple site on Heuksando Island is located on the eastern foothills of Sangrasan Mountain, and the date of its founding and abandonment are unknown.

Currently, a three-story stone pagoda and a stone lantern remain at the Husimsa site, and through surface surveys and previous excavations, roof tile fragments inscribed with the name ‘Husimsa Seonwon’ have been confirmed.

Exterior view of the central building site of Musimsaji (presumed Geumdang site)
[Photo by Sinan-gun]

Since 2009, several trial and full-scale excavations have been conducted, but clear results regarding the specific temple area and the nature of the temple have not been secured.

Accordingly, since 2021, the county has been conducting excavations through the Buddhist Cultural Heritage Research Institute (Director Monk Jejeong), and the recent investigation confirmed relics including two Unified Silla period building sites, retaining walls, and four stone rows.

Notably, the main temple site’s Unified Silla period golden hall was found overlapped beneath a mid-Goryeo period building site.

Excavated artifacts include ink-painted pottery shards, fragments of gilt-bronze Buddha statues, Chinese ceramics, lotus-patterned roof tile end pieces, and roof tile end pieces inscribed with ‘Jungwon Gapjin Year Sixth Month’ (estimated 1244).

Heuksando Island is recorded in Ennin’s “Record of a Pilgrimage to the Tang Dynasty” and Seo Geung’s “Goryeodo Gyeong” as having a government office and beacon tower for receiving Chinese envoys. Excavations around the Husimsa site, including Sangrasanseong Fortress, ritual sites, and government office sites, have uncovered numerous Chinese coins and ceramics, indicating that from the Unified Silla period to the Goryeo period, it was used as a maritime trade hub on the East Asian southern sea route.

Governor Park Woo-ryang stated, “Through the expanded excavation of the Unified Silla period golden hall site confirmed in this excavation and detailed excavations of surrounding relics, we will be able to verify Heuksando’s status as an ancient East Asian international trade port.”