Chungju Mireukdaewon Stone Temple Site (충주 미륵대원지)

Mireukdaewon Stone Temple Site, Historic Site No. 317, faces south in the basin of the Haneuljae Pass between Chungcheongbuk-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do. It is said that Mauitaeja, the last prince of the Silla Kingdom, had a dream one night as he was traveling to Geumgangsan Mountain where the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva instructed him to erect a statue of Buddha. As a result, he built a temple to honor the goddess’ wish at the current site of Mireuk-ri. The temple name was discovered through excavation research in 1977 and 1978 by Cheongju University, while the temple grounds were more thoroughly investigated by a team of researchers from Ewha Woman's University in 1980.