Hwang Ryong Sa

During the sixth century, the kingdom of Silla (covering much of the Korean peninsula) began to adopt Buddhism, which was imported from China. King Jinheung commissioned a new temple in the city of Gyeongju. He had originally intended the site for a palace, but his plans changed when a dragon was seen landing at the site. The temple Hwang Ryong Sa, which translates as 'Golden Dragon Temple' or 'Imperial Dragon Temple', became the center for the newly state-sponsored religion of Buddhism. The nine story pagoda was built about a century later than the rest of the complex. During the thirteenth century the temple was destroyed by Mongolian invaders, but here OliveSeon constructs a LEGO version as it would appear today if it were still standing.