천룡사지

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천룡사지
Cheollyongsa Temple Site
김동완 역사기행 작가, (삼국유사 오디세이) 18. 천룡사지, 경북일보 2020년 11월 12일자 기사.
대표명칭 천룡사지
영문명칭 Cheollyongsa Temple Site
한자 天龍寺址
주소 경상북도 경주시 내남면 용장리 875-2번지



해설문

국문

천룡사는 창건 기록은 없지만 『삼국유사』에 문무왕(재위 661~681) 때 당 태종의 사신으로 신라에 온 악붕귀(樂鵬龜)가 “이 절을 파괴하면 며칠 안에 나라가 망할 것이다.”라고 했다는 기록이 있어 늦어도 7세기 후반 이전에 이 사찰이 존재하였던 것을 알 수 있다. 그후 고려 정종 때 최제안(崔齊顔, ?~1046)에 의하여 중창되었고, 조선시대 말기까지 법등이 이어졌던 호국의 대가람이다. 조선 숙종 14년(1688) 정시한(丁時翰, 1625~1707)의 『산중일기』가 당시 천룡사의 모습을 알려준다. 순조 19년(1819) 화재로 소실되었다 한다.

산중 평지인 절터는 마을로 변모하여 건물에 사용된 석재와 석탑의 부재들이 민가와 축대에 쓰이면서 유실되었다. 1990년 삼층석탑 주변을 발굴조사한 후 석탑을 복원하였고, 1996년, 1997년의 발굴조사에서 10동의 건물지를 확인하였으나, 통일신라시대 창건가람과 관련한 유적은 아직 확인되지 않았다.

영문

Cheollyongsa Temple Site

Cheollyongsa Temple is presumed to have been founded sometime prior to the reign of King Munmu (r. 661-681) of the the Silla kingdom (57 BCE-935 CE). It was built to wish prosperity to the kingdom, but with the fall of Silla to the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392), the temple was abandoned and eventually disappeared. It was rebuilt in 1040 by the civil official Choe Je-an (?-1046), and up until the late period of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), served as a large-scale monastery that practiced state-protecting Buddhism. However, it was destroyed in a fire in 1819.

The temple site is vast, and parts of the site were excavated in 1990, 1996, and 1997. Remains dating to the Silla period have yet to be found, but 10 building sites dating to the Goryeo and Joseon periods were identified.


  • This Buddhist temple was established by the mid-7th century, although the exact year of foundation is unknown. It is mentioned in a passage in the 'Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms (Samguk yusa), which states that during the reign of King Munmu (r. 661-681) of the Silla dynasty (57 BCE-935 CE), an envoy of Emperor Taizong (r. 626-649) of the Chinese Tang dynasty (618-907) stated that "If this temple is destroyed, the country will collapse within a few days." The temple fell into disrepair by the end of the Silla period and was later rebuilt on a large scale by the civil official Choe Je-an (?-1046) during the reign of King Jeongjong (r. 1034-1046) of the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392). It remained a large state-protecting temple until the late period of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). The temple is described in Sanjung ilgi written by Jeong Si-han (1625-1707) and published in 1688. It burnt down in a fire in 1819. To the north of the temple site, a new worship hall and monks' residence has been built.
  • The name Cheollyongsa means "Temple of the Celestial Dragon," as it is said that the temple was founded by the parents of two daughters named Cheollyeo ("Celestial Maiden") and Yongnyeo ("Dragon Maiden").
  • The temple's three-story stone pagoda, presumed to have been constructed when the temple was rebuilt in 1040, was found in a collapsed state with some parts missing. It was repaired and reassembled in 1991 and designated as Treasure No. 1188 in 1993.

참고자료

  • 경주 남산 천룡사지 삼층석탑
  • 민백은 11동, 여기서 10동... 뭐가 맞는지... ?
    • NRICH[1]에서도 11개의 건물이라고 한다. 그러나 이 조사는 1998~2004이라고 한다고 함.
    • 여기[2]에 의하면 또 2015~2016년도에 조사했다고 나오네요.
  • 발굴조사보고서, 학술연구총서 22
    • 약6만평 → 200,000 ㎡
    • 금당 보수 출처 확인 필요 38장 참조...
      • 1539년 보수, 1548 중수 --> mid-16th century
      • 그러나 21장은 1693, 1707 중수도 있다
  • 1819년 화재는 어디서 확인된 내용인가요?