BEAUTY BEHIND BUDDHIST ARTWORKS

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At every Buddhist temple, a portrait of Buddha hangs over the altar behind his statue. Some temples possess wood engravings depicting imaginary scenes of paradise. Today we take a look at these valuable Buddhist artworks.

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A golden mural... Showing what paradise would look like. The face of Buddha, sitting on a lotus flower, glows with mercy and compassion. The work shows off delicate expressions of garments worn by Buddha's disciples listening to his teachings. Lotus flowers and clouds are symbols of paradise. This is a Buddhist artwork engraved on wood. Created in 1675 it was designated as a national treasure in 2017.

[Soundbite] LEE YONG-WOON(RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF BUDDHIST CULTURAL HERITAGE) : "Six or eight wood panels were combined to form a base board on which Buddhist figures were carved in."

Located in Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, the great sutra hall of Yongmun-sa Temple was designated as a national treasure last year. Created in 1684, this wooden Buddhist engraving of paradise offers comfort and consolation to those exhausted from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives.

[Soundbite] CHANG MYEON-SIK(TOUR GUIDE) : "The four heavenly guardians of Buddhism were situated in the lower part. At the center, the eight Buddhist saints are carved with two of Buddha's disciples located in the remaining space."

Buddhist monks Daneung and Takmil created these artworks at temples near Mungyeong, Yecheon and Sangju during the late 17th century. Currently, there are eight wooden Buddhist engravings left across the nation. Each of these artworks demonstrates the power of religion expressed in a sublime artistic form.