A multi-year restoration project at a remote mountain temple in South Korea's Gangwon Province has led to the stunning discovery of 14th-century Buddhist murals. These artworks, hidden beneath layers of later Joseon-era plaster, represent the pinnacle of Goryeo Dynasty religious art. The paintings depict the Amitabha Buddha surrounded by a host of bodhisattvas, rendered with rare mineral pigments and exquisite gold leaf detailing.
Conservationists from the Cultural Heritage Administration are using non-invasive thermal imaging and laser cleaning to stabilize the delicate silk-based panels. This finding is expected to reshape the understanding of early Korean Buddhist iconography and the sophisticated techniques used in medieval temple decorations before the stylistic shifts of the subsequent century.