Cheonjedan Altars on Taebaeksan Mountain

Taebaeksan Mountain is described in several records, including the Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), as having been venerated as a sacred mountain and used as a site for rites to Heaven. The Cheonjedan Altars on Taebaeksan Mountain were built for the performance of these rites. The complex is centred on the Cheonwangdan altar at the summit of Taebaeksan, with the Janggundan altar about 300 m to its north and an unnamed altar, the Hadan (Lower Altar), below it to the south; the three are arranged in a straight line running from north to south. The Cheonwangdan is a circular altar just over 2 m high, built up from natural stones with a platform facing south. On top of it stands a square altar of natural stone and a stone monument inscribed with the words 'Hanbaegeom', said to have been erected in the course of consecrating the site by Daejonggyo, a religion centred on the worship of Dangun. The Janggundan is a stone platform with steps on its south side; it has an altar inside, on top of which a natural stone has been set upright like a memorial stone. The Hadan, located in the woods below the Cheonwangdan to the south, is smaller in scale, only slightly larger than the stone cairns commonly found in the mountains of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and gives an impression of simplicity and refinement. The exact date when the altars were first built is not known, but tradition holds that rites to Heaven have been performed here since the era of the tribal states, indicating a very long history. Rites at the Cheonjedan Altars on Taebaeksan Mountain are said to have continued through Silla, Goryeo and Joseon and on into the Japanese colonial period, and the tradition is carried on today: every year on Gaecheonjeol (National Foundation Day), rites are held here to pray to Heaven for the peace, tranquillity and prosperity of the nation. The site is also used each year as the place where the torch is lit for the Gangwon Provincial Sports Festival.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Taebaek, Gangwon

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산