The construction of Bulguksa Temple, located at Tohamsan Mountain, Gyeongju, was started in 751 (the 10th year of the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla) and completed in 774 (the 10th year of the reign of King Hyegong of Silla). Most of the buildings within the temple, except for Geungnakjeon Hall, Jahamun Gate, Beomyeongnu Pavilion and a few others, were burned down during the Japanese invasion in 1593. The present condition of the temple is the result of restoration work carried out between 1969 and 1973. The main features of the temple include two three-story stone pagodas, Dabotap and Seokgatap, which date back to the Unified Silla Period; two stone bridges, Cheongungyo (Blue Cloud Bridge) and Baegungyo (White Cloud Bridge), leading to Jahamun Gate; and two stone bridges, Yeonhwagyo (Lotus Flower Bridge) and Chilbogyo (Seven Treasure Bridge), leading to Geungnakjeon Hall, all of which have been designated as national treasures.
Many cultural heritage items, including the Gilt-bronze Seated Vairocana Buddha kept in Birojeon Hall and the Gilt-bronze Seated Amitabha Buddha kept in Geungnakjeon Hall, attest to the splendid Buddhist culture of that period. The temple, along with Seokguram Grotto, was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in December 1995.