Haepyeong-ri Stone Jangseung Guardian Posts

A jangseung is a guardian post set up at a village entrance or roadside, serving as a guardian of the gateway and a tutelary spirit of the village; it is a form of folk belief. These stone jangseung take the form of a male-female pair, standing one on each side of the road at the village entrance. The one standing on the higher ground on the right, among the stones of a stone wall, is called 'Sangwonju-janggun', and the one standing lower, across the road, is called 'Hawondang-janggun'. Sangwonju-janggun is in the form of a woman, bald-headed, with an almost flat face. Her features include a wrinkled forehead, eyebrows shaped like a gull in flight, round eyes, a club-shaped nose, and clearly marked nostrils. Between her slightly parted lips, teeth are faintly carved, and on her chin a vine-like pattern is carved. Hawondang-janggun is in the form of a man, likewise bald-headed, with a body shaped overall like a square pillar. His forehead has thick wrinkles, his eyebrows are raised upward, and his eyes bulge outward. His nose is broad and fist-like, with clearly expressed nostrils, and his long mouth is firmly closed. Both ears are carved in fine detail, and his beard, too, is carved thick. Originally these posts stood at the entrance to Gaeheungsa Temple, guarding the temple, but after being moved to this village they became its tutelary guardians, invoked to ensure the smooth transport of tax grain once carried by sea routes and to pray for the peace and stability of the residents.

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Where it is

Region

Boseong, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료