Gate shows distinctive architecture
January 29, 2026Ilju (one-column) gate is a Korean-style structure in the form of a gatepost built at the entrance to an old Buddhist temple, which is rare in terms of architectural formation and structural mechanics.
A typical example is the Jogye Gate at Sogwang Temple, which had been built in the period between the late Koryo Kingdom (918-1392) and the feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910) and is located in Kosan County, Kangwon Province.
Two wooden gateposts stand on two large stone columns which are more than one metre high, holding up a gable roof weighing several hundred tons.
The gate is 8 metres high and one side of the gable roof is 8 metres long. The stone and wooden pillars which are vertically connected to support the heavy roof are not linked in a strong structural combination but simply put in contact with each other.
However, the gate is dynamically safe as it forms the shape of a globe in proportional formation. Since all the parts from the pillars to the roof are interlocked to each other, it can stand firm even in an earthquake and storm.
Another ilju gate can be found at Anbyon Pohyon Temple in Anbyon County, Kangwon Province. The temple was originally built in the middle of the 8th century and rebuilt in the 16th century.
THE PYONGYANG TIMES