The Seokguram (石窟庵) grotto was originally founded by Kim Tae-seong in 751 A.D. (the 15th year of King Kyeongdeok in the Unified Silla period) and was also known as “Seokbulsa (石佛寺).” This grotto temple was built together with the grander, more imposing “Bulguksa” temple. While the Bulguksa was built in the wish for the earthly glory of the royal house of Kim, the Seokguram was built in the hope that the ancestors of the Kim royal house would enter into the Land of Happiness. The Seokguram was artificially assembled with large and small superposed chunks of granite to create a gentle and subtle sculpture like the surface of silk. Included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1997, the Seokguram is one of representative cultural heritages of Korea, which well shows the beauty of Korean Buddhist sculpture and architecture, and is also internationally famous for its unique architectural characteristics in marked contrast to the grotto temples in India and China.

During the twelve-hundred-odd years since its foundation, the Seokguram has been degraded through the alternation of ruling dynasties and foreign invasions. Nevertheless, the people have persistently striven to preserve this national treasure, the value of which is now coming to be recognized by all people of the world. This book is planned to help readers precisely understand the Seokguram grotto itself, which has been incorrectly interpreted by foreign scholars. This book explains in detail the founding of the Seokguram, the structure of the artificial grotto, the graceful sculptured statue, etc., through illustrative plates and plans of the Seokguram. A Japanese edition of this book is also available.