Art historian Cornelius Chang examines the history, architecture, and preservation of Sŏkkuram, a unique 8th-century Buddhist shrine located near Kyongju, South Korea, in a special lecture at The Korea Society on March 3, 2011. 

This lecture series is supported by a grant from the


Thursday, March 3 @ 6:30 PM

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Set in a man-made cave and modeled after the renowned natural rock-cut Buddhist cave shrine at Bodhgaya, India, Sŏkkuram has survived war, neglect, and environmental damage to become a symbol of South Korea and a testament to the Silla dynasty artists who created it. However, in modern times, the structure of the cave and the sculptures inside were subjected to unprofessional repairs, as when Sŏkkuram was dismantled for repair by the Japanese government in 1914. The questions of the original vision of the Silla creators and the correct methods of preserving its treasures, will be discussed in some detail in this lecture with the aid of photographs from the early 20th century to the present. The conservation of Sŏkkuram, the only known man-made Buddhist stone shrine cave, is the subject of debate to this day.

All lectures will be held at

The Korea Society
Samsung Center for Cultural Exchange
950 Third Avenue @ 57th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10022

All lectures will be in English, except for the final lecture, which will be delivered in Korean (English interpretation will be provided).

Each of the first five courses will be two hours long, with a ninety-minute lecture and thirty-minute Q&A period. The hour-long final lecture with thirty-minute Q&A on March 17 will be followed by a short end-of-series program.

Members, $20 per lecture. Non-members, $30 per lecture. Enroll in all six lectures, and pay only $100 (members) and $125 (non-members—one-year membership included). Student discount available ($5 per lecture).