Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 41

4. Main Hall of Sokkuram Grotto, Gyeongju, 8 th
century CE. Many consider the Sokkurum Grotto to be the finest achievement of the people of
Silla. The Sokkurum Grotto embodies ideal harmony of science, art, and religion in a single
entity. The Buddha was created with perfect dimensions and the highest artistic skills. It is
considered one of the most beautiful Buddhist statues in East Asia.
5. Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok, Gyeongju, 8 th
century CE. The bell is the largest bell of its kind in Korea today. The casting techniques of the
Silla people who created this enormous and beautiful bell 1,200 years ago are still not fully
understood. A bell patterned after the sacred bell of King Seongdeok was presented to the United
States in 1976 in recognition of the friendship between South Korea and the United States and is
located in San Pedro, California.
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