Taebaeksan Mountain Stone Jangseung Guardian Posts

These are two stone jangseung guardian posts standing on either side of the path leading up into the Taebaek mountain range. They originally stood at Mirudunji, 1.2 km to the north; about forty years ago they were moved to Manggyeongsa Temple on Taebaeksan Mountain, and then in 1987 they were restored to their present location under the auspices of the Taebaek Cultural Center. During the restoration, natural stones not originally present were laid as pedestal stones beneath the posts, and each pedestal was inscribed with cheonjang (天將, Heavenly General) and jijang (地將, Earthly General) respectively, marking them as Cheonha Daejanggun ('Great General Under Heaven') and Jiha Yeojanggun ('Female General Under the Earth'). However, their appearance is not the fierce, bulging-eyed look typical of ordinary jangseung but rather gentle and dignified, making them look closer to a civil-official stone statue (munin-seok) or a Maitreya image. The cheonjang post, on the left side of the path, stands on a broad pedestal stone 50 cm high and measures 170 cm in length and 130 cm in circumference; the jijang post opposite stands on a stubby pedestal stone 80 cm high and measures 155 cm in length and 135 cm in circumference. Both are made of granite and have weathered considerably, so that the facial features of the jijang post can no longer be made out, although overall preservation is fairly good. Beside the jijang post stands a sotdae pole erected together with the posts when they were moved here; it is carved at the top with three ducks, a form mainly found in the Yeongdong region centred on the coastal areas of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. The date the two posts were made is unknown, but in connection with the celestial faith that reveres heaven, and with Cheonjedan, the altar on Taebaeksan Mountain where rites are held to the god of heaven, they served as guardian images of the mountain god of Taebaeksan; and the considerable wear on the nose of the jijang post shows that it was also an object of village guardian worship.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Taebaek, Gangwon

Designation

Provincial Folklore Heritage · 시도민속문화유산