Chungcheongnam-do

There is a huge standing Buddha image carved on a cliff in the valley of Mt. Gaya, Woonsan-myeon, Seosan City, Chungnam Province. Here can be seen the standing Bodhisattva image on its right and the half-sitting thinking Maitreya Bodhisattva image on its left. Commonly known as the “smile of Baekje,” the Buddha images were carved a little deep into the rock wall with a wooden house in the front, which is the typical case of a stone cave in a cliff.

The Standing Buddha image is standing on the pedestal with the patterns of lotus flowers. His face is fat and semicircular with a plump, round contour. The merciful impression unique to Baekje’s Buddha images is also found in him. The thick clothes hide the bodyline with U-shapes plaited in front. There is a lotus flower at the center of the halo with flame patterns around it.

The main Buddha image has a heavy, majestic body with a rather round contour, and the Bodhisattva displays a sophisticated, formative sense. In addition to those characteristics, the common cheerful impression gives a hint that they were made in the late 6th century or early 7th century.