Simwonam Clay Buddha and Stupa

The clay Buddha is a small seated statue made of clay. Its face is round and full, and its hair is depicted in the shape of snails. It is said that records from the reign of King Injo of the Joseon Dynasty (1623–1649) were found inside the statue, but they have been lost, which is regrettable for research on the statue. The stupa is a bell-shaped stone stupa about 90 cm in height. Originally, there were two stupas at the original site, but only one has been moved to its current location and preserved. It was not easy to find Simwonam Clay Buddha and Stupa. Simwonsa Temple Site was originally a temple located on the southeastern foothills of Hambaeksan Mountain in Soro-gol, Sodo-dong, but it was completely burned down in 1947 during a communist guerrilla suppression operation. Later, when the Donghae Mine was established, the entire temple site was buried under the waste rock piles of the Donghae Coal Mine, and now no trace of it can be found. It is said that before the site was buried under the waste rock, the foundation stones of the buildings remained in good condition. (Source: Taebaek City Culture and Tourism)