Bongbaltap Stupa

West Courtyard, Tongdosa Temple (map)
Yangsan, Korea

Bongbal-tap (Bongbal Stupa) stands in front of Yonghwa-jeon (Maitreya Hall; the photo faces north). Taller than a person, being 3m (10ft) high, it is a unique piece of religious symbolism. The stupa was made in the Goryeo period (918-1392), and represents Shakyamuni's rice bowl that he commended to Maitreya (the Buddha in this hall) as a sign of succession for when Maitreya appears in the future.