calendar>>March 23. 2022 Juche 111
New Historical Relics Found in Mts. Myohyang and Kumgang of DPRK
Pyongyang, March 23 (KCNA) -- Precious historical relics have recently been excavated in Mts. Myohyang and Kumgang, the DPRK's famous mountains.

They are a gold-silver image of Pharmacist Buddha with two Bodhisattvas on either side and a gilt-bronze image of Amitabha with two Bodhisattvas on either side.

The image of Pharmacist Buddha, 8.9 cm in height and 200 grams in weight, was found in Mt Myohyang and the image of Amitabha, 16 cm in height and 900 grams in weight, in Mt Kumgang.

Carved on the back side of the Amitabha image are letters reading "Kwangam Temple", which was located in front of the mausoleum of King Kyonghyo (Kongmin), the 31st king of Koryo (918-1392), in Haeson-ri of Kaesong City and then ruined in the period of the feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910).

According to an analysis the Analysis Institute?of the High-Tech Development Center of Kim Il Sung University conducted by means of scanning electron microscope, the gilded Buddhist image from Mt Myohyang is made chiefly of silver and the gilded Buddhist image from Mt Kumgang is made chiefly of bronze with tin and silver.

The Non-permanent Tangible Heritage Examination and Appraisal Committee, composed of officials, teachers and researchers of the Bureau for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Kim Il Sung University, the Korean Central History Museum, the Korean Agency for National Heritage Conservation, etc., and the Archaeology Society of the DPRK had an in-depth discussion on those historical relics. In the end, they came to estimation that the relics are a sterling article of national value made in the period of Koryo and they are of high academic significance in studying the development of the then society and the depiction techniques and manufacturing methods of Buddhist images.

And the relics were recognized as the outstanding ones of national value among the historical relics in the DPRK.

They were donated to the state.

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