Sokkuram - The Cave of Enlightenment, South Korea (87/418)

Established on the slopes of Mount T'oham in the 8th century, the Sokkuram cave contains a monumental statue of Buddha looking at the sea in the bhumisparsha mudra position. With the surrounding portrayals of gods, Bodhisattvas and disciples, realistically and delicately sculpted in haut relief and bas relief, it makes up a masterpiece of Buddhist art in the Far East. The Temple of Pulguksa, built in 752, and the cave form a body of religious architecture of exceptional significance.