Geochang Gangnamsa-ji Standing Stone Buddha

The Geochang Gangnamsa-ji Standing Stone Buddha stands at the site of the former Gangnamsa temple in Sangcheon-ri, Wicheon-myeon, Geochang.

At 3.65m tall and 1.5m wide, it's a large stone Buddha believed to date from the Unified Silla period. It carries a halo representing light radiating from the Buddha's body, and is also known as the "Gangnam Buddha stone image." The village itself is said to have taken its name — Gangnambul, or "Buddha-place" — from this very statue, making it inseparable from the community's identity.

After centuries of weathering, the face has worn badly, but the three folds carved into the neck — a Buddhist symbol representing the state of enlightenment — remain clearly visible. You can also make out what appears to be robes draped over both shoulders.

While the finer carved details are hard to make out due to weathering, simply knowing that this figure has carried a village's name and faith together for over a thousand years is reason enough to give it a quiet, appreciative look.