Built in 676 and rebuilt in 1376, National Treasure No. 18 Yongp'ung County, North Kyongsang Province

This one-story hall with a hipped, gabled roof covered with tiles was built in 676 but was destroyed by fire twice. The extant structure is one of Korea's oldest wooden buildings and serves as a valuable example of the columnhead brack-eting system typical of classic Korean architecture. The Hall houses the largest and oldest clay Buddha in Korea. The Buddha figure is an Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, who wards off evil and guards the Western Paradise. This is why the Buddha sits in the West facing East.

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