Everyone Knows Dolhareubang — But Have You Heard of Boksin Mireuk, the Stone Buddhas Watching Over Jeju's Old Town?

When people think of stones that protected Jeju's villages, dolhareubang usually comes to mind first. But tucked into the alleys of Jeju's old town, another kind of stone object of faith still quietly keeps its place today, one with a very different face from dolhareubang — the boksin mireuk. Where dolhareubang stood as guardian-like statues before fortress gates, boksin mireuk are said to have been objects of folk worship, places where villagers pressed their hands together and prayed for children, or for a family member out at sea to return home safely. Even though both are stone figures, why they were built and how people treated them were quite different. Today GYULI wants to walk you through what kind of stone Buddha boksin mireuk really is, and how it differs from dolhareubang.

A Stone Buddha for Praying: What's in the Name Boksin Mireuk

Written in hanja, boksin mireuk is said to combine characters meaning 'fortune' (福), 'spirit' (神), and 'Maitreya' (彌勒) — a Maitreya Buddha that bestows good fortune. Maitreya originally refers, in Buddhist teaching, to a Buddha said to appear in the world far in the future to save people, and Jeju's villagers are said to have borrowed this name for stone figures raised at village entrances, treating them as objects to pray to for good fortune. In that sense, boksin mireuk is less like dolhareubang, a guardian spirit said to have stood at village entrances or fortress gates to block bad energy, and much closer to an object of folk faith that villagers visited directly to pray for whatever they needed in daily life. Even though both are stone figures shaped like people, dolhareubang is said to have been a presence that blocked misfortune, while boksin mireuk was a presence people prayed to — so GYULI imagines that Jeju's people held quite different feelings toward each from the very start.

Where boksin mireuk are placed is also worth noting. They're said to stand one on each side of the entrance to Jeju's old town, centered around the site of the former Jeju fortress, forming a male-and-female pair. Each is said to be known by its own name, dongjabok and seojabok, said to have watched over the eastern and western sides of the village respectively. Rather than standing side by side facing each other, the two figures stand apart at the eastern and western edges of the old town, so it's said that both travelers and even locals often pass by without realizing the two mireuk originally formed a pair. Unlike dolhareubang, which stand in multiples across many locations, boksin mireuk stand as just this one pair watching over the old town, which is a notable difference in itself.

🍊 More Photos, via GYULI

A Different Face from Dolhareubang: What Boksin Mireuk Look Like

Look closely and boksin mireuk are clearly distinct from dolhareubang. Where dolhareubang give off a stern, rigid impression with their bulging eyes and firmly shut mouths, boksin mireuk are said to have far rounder, more softly shaped features, closer to a gentle expression. With a bare head and both hands folded neatly together, they carry the unmistakable look of a Buddhist statue, specifically a Maitreya Buddha. Another notable feature is how their features have been worn down and rounded by long years of wind and rain. They're said to be made from basalt, the volcanic rock commonly found across Jeju, much like dolhareubang, but their surface is said to be shaped more smoothly, giving a distinctly different feel up close.

Something worth noticing as you pass a boksin mireuk is what's left at its feet or nearby. Villagers are said to have long prayed before these stone Buddhas for children, for a family member at sea to return safely, or for good fortune within the household, and even today it's said that some people leave a small stone or pause briefly in quiet devotion. While most people pass dolhareubang with just a photo, in front of boksin mireuk there's said to still be an atmosphere of people pressing their hands together and taking a moment to pray, so even though both are stone Buddhas, the way people approach them feels quite different.

Origins Still a Question Mark, Yet Stories Live On

Exactly when boksin mireuk were first built is genuinely hard to say for certain. Some say they were made during a period when Buddhism flourished on the island, while others say a stone figure that had already served as an object of village faith much earlier was later given the name Maitreya Buddha, so it feels premature to pin the story down to a single period. What does seem clear is that for a long stretch of time, boksin mireuk have stood close to the daily lives of the old town's people, regarded as something to turn to with folded hands in difficult moments. Rather than a single exact year, it's perhaps the fact that so many different stories are still told side by side that best explains just how long boksin mireuk have stayed by people's side.

While dolhareubang have become something like the welcoming face of Jeju, standing at the airport and the entrance of nearly every tourist spot, boksin mireuk in many cases still remain much as they were, tucked into quiet corners of the old town where few people pass. That may be why the name is still unfamiliar to travelers, even as it's said to hold special meaning to the residents who have long called the old town home. Next time you find yourself walking the alleys of Jeju's old town, don't just look for dolhareubang — take a moment to think of this quiet pair of stone Buddhas as well.

🍊 Real Photos, via GYULI