Gyeongsan Jain Danoje (Dano Festival of Jain, Gyeongsan)

Gyeongsan Jain Danoje is a Dano festival passed down in Jain-myeon, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do. According to village legend, when Japanese invaders raided during the Silla (or Goryeo) period and tormented the villagers, General Han devised a stratagem: disguising himself as a woman together with his younger sister, he wore an elaborate flower crown and danced, and in this way defeated the Japanese soldiers. After General Han died, the residents of Jain village are said to have built a shrine to him and, every year on Dano, held a memorial rite and enjoyed a grand performance. Gyeongsan Jain Danoje consists of the memorial rite and the costumed procession known as Yeowonmu. In the past, people would travel all the way to the old battlefield to perform the Yeowonmu and then climb to the shrine to hold the rite; today it begins instead with a procession toward General Han's grave, gathering first in the broad square of the marketplace. The order of the costumed procession is led by the obangi, flags of the five directions — east, west, south, north and centre — followed in line by farmers'-band flags, the yeowonhwagwan (flower crown), officials, huigwangi, cross-dressed young men, gunno (military attendants), saryeong (messengers), kkachi saryeong, poguns, yeongjang, gisaeng, junggun, ikgong, tongin, ilsan (parasol), dowonsu and subae. The procession circles General Han's grave once and then descends to the square, where the officiating priests perform the memorial rite. Unlike other folk games, Gyeongsan Jain Danoje is distinguished by its unusual costumed procession, and its artistic value is high: the flower crown stands as tall as 3m, and the choreography is highly distinctive. It is also significant in that, with its long history, the villagers' firm faith serves as the spiritual foundation of the performance. (Name changed from "Hanjanggun Nori" to "Gyeongsan Jain Danoje" on 12 March 2007.)

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Intangible Heritage · 국가무형유산