Koreans celebrate harvest traditions at Gangneung Danoje Festival
- 8 years ago
Today is Dano in Korea.
It's when villagers in the country's traditionally agrarian society would gather to pray for a good harvest.
Though it's no longer celebrated nationwide in modern Korea, an urban, technologically advanced, economic powerhouse,... there is one festival that keeps the tradition alive every year.
Lee Ji-won takes us there.
Koreans once celebrated Dano to mark the end of the harvest season.
It was a sacred day when people prayed to the gods for a good harvest and peace for local farming communities.
Koreans celebrated Dano, which fell on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar, with festivals across the country.
Today, one of the few surviving festivals is the Gangneung Danoje Festival.
It was designated as one of Korea's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.
Puppet shows and performances of farmers' music, or "nongak" in Korean, give visitors a chance to experience a wide range of cultural traditions.
"The nongak performance was very enjoyable, especially the dancers shaking their heads. It's nice that the festival shows a lot of Korea's traditions."
One of the festival's most renowned traditions is the gut, or shamanic rituals.
There will be performances of more than 15 rituals this year, and each one offers prayers for something different, such as an abundant harvest or a family's well-being.
"I have been enjoying the traditional side of the festival. Particularly the mediums today, as my mother-in-law has taught me the reason for the festival is about the god coming down from the mountain and everyone praying to him."
This year's festival also features a number of performances by international groups.
Chinese performers from the city of Jingzhou are back after several previous festival appearances, and for the first time, the French group Le Point d' Alencon brought its repertoire of folk songs and dances to Gangneung.
"Through these various international performances, the fes
It's when villagers in the country's traditionally agrarian society would gather to pray for a good harvest.
Though it's no longer celebrated nationwide in modern Korea, an urban, technologically advanced, economic powerhouse,... there is one festival that keeps the tradition alive every year.
Lee Ji-won takes us there.
Koreans once celebrated Dano to mark the end of the harvest season.
It was a sacred day when people prayed to the gods for a good harvest and peace for local farming communities.
Koreans celebrated Dano, which fell on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar, with festivals across the country.
Today, one of the few surviving festivals is the Gangneung Danoje Festival.
It was designated as one of Korea's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.
Puppet shows and performances of farmers' music, or "nongak" in Korean, give visitors a chance to experience a wide range of cultural traditions.
"The nongak performance was very enjoyable, especially the dancers shaking their heads. It's nice that the festival shows a lot of Korea's traditions."
One of the festival's most renowned traditions is the gut, or shamanic rituals.
There will be performances of more than 15 rituals this year, and each one offers prayers for something different, such as an abundant harvest or a family's well-being.
"I have been enjoying the traditional side of the festival. Particularly the mediums today, as my mother-in-law has taught me the reason for the festival is about the god coming down from the mountain and everyone praying to him."
This year's festival also features a number of performances by international groups.
Chinese performers from the city of Jingzhou are back after several previous festival appearances, and for the first time, the French group Le Point d' Alencon brought its repertoire of folk songs and dances to Gangneung.
"Through these various international performances, the fes