Seokguram Grotto, Gyeongju

Seokguram is a grotto temple said to have been made by the Silla minister Kim Dae-seong; it is an artificial cave of individually dressed stones, covered with earth. The Korea Tourism Organization says Bulguksa and Seokguram were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 6 December 1995. Hours vary by month, listed as 9:00 to 18:00 from March to September and 9:00 to 17:00 from November to January, and it is open every day of the year. Parking is 2,000 won for small and medium vehicles and 4,000 won for large ones; admission is listed as free in the tourist information, so check on-site fees. The main Buddha faces the East Sea, and stories are told about the direction of the sunrise.

It is said to have been founded in the 10th year of King Gyeongdeok of Silla by the minister Kim Dae-seong. Its structure combines squares and circles, straight lines and curves, flat and spherical surfaces, and each of the 38 Buddhas and bodhisattvas carved along the walls is a masterpiece showing deep philosophy and science, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. The commentary says it was called Seokbulsa when built and became Seokguram in Joseon, and that Kim Dae-seong built Seokguram for his parents of a previous life and Bulguksa for his parents of this life; see Bulguksa.

The month ranges overlap in the listing, so confirm the exact closing time on site. The commentary notes you climb high steps to reach it; in Buddhism steps represent stages of practice, so climb slowly. It is on a ridge about 3 km from Bulguksa, so many visit both in a day; see the Gyeongju guide.

Grotto temples began in India, where monks carved caves into rock to practise in the heat, as at Ajanta and Ellora; China's Yungang and Longmen grottoes were also carved. Korea's hard terrain made carving difficult, so granite was dressed and fitted together and covered with earth, which required deep knowledge of mathematics, geometry and architecture. The main chamber is round, as are the main Buddha's seat and the domed ceiling, with circles of different diameters arranged around the Buddha's forehead. The ceiling stone weighs about 20 tonnes; protruding "fist stones" set like hairpins between flat stones balance the dome and spread its weight.

The antechamber has the Eight Guardian Deities and Vajra guardians, the Four Heavenly Kings guard the passage, and the main chamber holds the main Buddha with reliefs of bodhisattvas, devas and disciples arranged around the round wall. The main Buddha sits slightly back from the centre and its head is carved large in relation to the body, taking account of the worshipper's view. The lotus on the back wall looks like a halo, and the earth-touching hand gesture means defeating evil. The Buddha is said to have been carved first and the grotto built around it.

Behind it, the eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara shows eleven faces in one carving. Of the nine small faces on the head, the top three are gentle, praising the good; the lower left three are angry, governing the wicked; and the right three smile, encouraging the striving. Two of the nine that look new were restored later. The glass wall makes it hard to see in detail.

Originally, cold groundwater flowing beneath the grotto kept the temperature steady and prevented condensation, and the granite walls and ceiling were covered with tiles and earth that let moisture escape naturally. During the Japanese occupation, without understanding this, the groundwater was cut off, the tiles and earth removed and the grotto repaired with then-new cement, so damp built up, moss grew and the stone risked decay. In the 1960s repairs added a glass wall and climate control to regulate temperature and humidity artificially. The wooden building around the entrance was added later against wind and rain; before it existed, the sunrise over the East Sea lit the grotto. The main Buddha faces the East Sea, towards Daewangam off Bonggil-ri, the underwater tomb of King Munmu.

• Hours vary by month, so ask just before you go.
• Parking: small and medium 2,000 won, large 4,000 won.
• You view it through the glass wall, so read about the eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara in advance.
• If visiting Bulguksa the same day, work out the travel time.

• Architecture fans: the round chamber and fist-stone ceiling.
• Buddhist art lovers: the meaning of the main Buddha and the eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara.
• Pairing with Bulguksa: Bulguksa is about 3 km away.

Fees, hours and programmes can change, so check the latest information before you visit.