This elegant five-story stone pagoda of the Baekje period exhibits a refined structural beauty.
Su Dingfang, a general of the Tang Dynasty, made an inscription meaning “Pagoda Celebrating the Destruction of Baekje” on this pagoda, after destroying Baekje in alliance with Silla, hence the pagoda was once humiliated by being falsely called for some time as Pyeongjetap, meaning “celebrating pagoda on destroying Baekje.”
The pagoda’s five-story body stands on a single narrow low platform, and stone pillars are fixed into the middle and corners of each side of the platform. Pillars displaying the baeheullim style (narrow at the upper and lower part and convex at the middle of the pillar) stand at each corner of the stories of the pagoda’s body. The roofstones are thin and wide, and raised at the end of the eaves to give it a nimble appearance. Overall, the pagoda has a similar structure to that of a wooden building, showing the significant characteristic of this pagoda. Although the pagoda faithfully follows the structure of wooden buildings, it is not a mere imitation but rather a refined and creative work. The figure in general is very majestic and beautiful.
The pagoda is regarded as an extremely precious heritage, being one of only two extant stone pagodas of the Baekje Period along with the Stone Pagoda at the Mireuksa Temple Site, Iksan (Treasure No. 11).