Yeonggwang Dodong-ri Stone Jangseung Guardian Posts

Jangseung are a form of folk belief, erected at the entrance to a village or by the roadside to serve as a guardian spirit of the village's gate and a protective deity. The two jangseung standing at Dangsan-geori in Dodong-ri are known as "Grandfather" and "Grandmother" beneath the sacred village tree; they stand three metres apart, back to back, one facing north and the other south. The Grandfather jangseung, which faces north, is made of roughly shaped natural stone and gives an overall impression of artless sturdiness, with eyes like round spectacles, a round nose, crescent-moon lips and two lines of beard beneath the chin — the simple face of a rustic village grandfather. On its front are carved the characters for "Dongbang Daejang" (Great General of the East). The Grandmother jangseung faces south; its body rises in a trapezoid before being cut square at the head. Made from a stone slab about 18 cm thick, it is slender compared with the stout Grandfather. The eyes and nose are round, the mouth is abnormally large, and the teeth are carved in a jagged, concave-convex pattern, giving it a frowning expression. It is inscribed with the words "Seobang Daejang [Great General of the West], the twelfth year of Daoguang", showing that it was erected in 1832, the thirty-second year of King Sunjo of Joseon. Between the Grandfather and Grandmother jangseung stands a roughly shaped cylindrical stone, which villagers call the "Baby Jangseung" or the "Horse-tethering Post". These jangseung originally stood in a row facing the road, but now stand in their present position owing to road improvement works.

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Where it is

Region

Yeonggwang, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료