Originally planned to be a palace for King Jinheung of the Silla dynasty of Korea, the construction that began in 553 BC changed its direction when a great yellow dragon allegedly appeared at the site. Awestruck and considering it to be a providential sign, the king ordered his people to turn the unfinished palace into a Buddhist temple. It was completed in 570 BC and named Hwangnyongsa. Over the next seven centuries, the temple would come to interact with many ancient civilizations of Asia, showing the illustriousness of Korean history….
