Icheon-dong Stone Buddha (Jebiwon) 이천동 석불상(제비원)
Andong · Downtown & Old Market · Sights
Here a gigantic natural boulder forms the body of a Buddha, with a separately carved head set on top. The figure dates to the Goryeo period, and when seen from the road it seems as though only a face rises from the stone. The lips still show faint traces of red.
It also appears in folk songs as the home of the guardian spirit of houses, so many Andong people know it by name. The viewing area is small and you will need no more than twenty minutes. Because it stands beside a highway, it fits best as a pause on the way to the mountain temple rather than a separate trip.
Admission is free.
It stands by the national road between Andong and Bongjeongsa, about 20 minutes by car from the old town; ask a taxi driver to stop. (Show a driver: 제비원 석불)
Show this Korean name to your taxi driver or match it to signs: 이천동 석불상(제비원)
- Best time to visit
- Daytime light shows the carved details; a quick stop on the way to or from Bongjeongsa.
- Pair it with
- Bongjeongsa Temple is the closest main sight, and Bongjeongsa Hwangtojip Handmade Tofu is farther along.
- Great for
- Parents
- Local tip
- A Goryeo-era standing Buddha with a carved head set on a huge natural rock, beside the national road toward Bongjeongsa. It needs only 20 minutes, so pair it with a car, taxi or tour stop.