Page 72 - World Buddhist Heritage Through Stamps

KOREA

Haeinsa

The Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks

Year of Inscription: 1995

Haeinsa’s magnificent Tripataka, its first edition was destroyed in 1232 AD.

Later, the second edition was created in 1251 AD. It consists of 52,382,960

classical Chinese characters carved on 81,258 double-sided woodblocks. It

is said to be the oldest and most complete copy of the Buddhist scriptures

in the world. It is displayed on floor-to-ceiling shelves in the oldest building

at the temple, called the Janggyeong Panjeon.

⽊刻⼤藏经 Woodblocks Tripitaka
The buildings of Janggyeong Panjeon, which date from the 15th century AD (韩国 Korea: 1998)

were constructed to house the woodblocks, which are also revered as

exceptional works of art. As the oldest depository of the Tripitaka, they

reveal an astonishing mastery of the invention and implementation of the

conservation techniques used to preserve these woodblocks.

The “Korean Tripitaka” has become the master copy for the publication of

the Tripitaka by Asian countries and is recognized as the most accurate

version of the Buddhist Tripitaka. 藏经楼 Janggyeong Panjeon

(韩国 Korea: 1998)