UNSRC Korean Cultural Society

Korea Times
09-29-2009 18:36

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

A 5,000-year-old Korean dance, “Ganggangsullae,” is expected to be designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a government agency said Tuesday.

The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea said that the decision on the official listing of the dance, along with four other cultural properties, will come today.

The other properties are “Namsadongnori” (acrobatics, singing, dancing and circus performances by itinerant males for poor farmers and the public); “Yeongsanjae” (a Buddhist ritual for the dead); “Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut” (traditional dances to celebrate the harvest on Jeju Island); and “Cheoyongmu” (an iconic traditional Korean dance based on a son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea).

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage will make a final decision at the UNESCO Convention in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

The listing will ensure the safeguarding of the properties and also research by UNESCO.

Ganggangsullae was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 8 in 1966. The tradition is a combination of songs and dances for women dressed in traditional Korean attire. It was performed mainly in the coastal areas of South Jeolla Province under the moonlight during Korean Thanksgiving, for a good harvest and fertility.

Namsadongnori, named Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 3 in 1964, is a folk entertainment program performed by a group of nomadic male entertainers called “namsadang.” The troupes would travel from village to village and give performances such as mask dances, puppet plays, tightrope walking and acrobatics.

Yeongsanjae was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 50 in 1973. It is a ceremonial ritual based on the Buddhist belief that after a person dies, the soul lingers in our world for seven weeks before gaining life again through reincarnation. It is an external expression of Buddhist doctrine and philosophy and a means of practicing self-discipline that dates back to the early Joseon Kingdom.

The Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut, designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 71 in 1980, is an annual ritual on Jeju Island. It is performed during the second month of the lunar calendar to pray to the goddess of the wind, also known as Grandmother Yeongdeung, for an abundant harvest and calm seawater. It includes dances and performances using traditional instruments and garments.

Cheoyongmu, designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No.39 in 1971, refers to a dance performed by dancer in a mask and costume resembling the legendary character “Cheo-yong,” or the son of the dragon king. The dance was performed to promote good fortune and is still done at banquets and traditional exorcism sites today.

There are a total of 166 properties designated by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 76 countries. Korea has three, including the Royal Ancestral Ritual in the Jongmyo Shrine and its Music (2001), the Pansori Epic Chant (2003) and the Gangneung Danoje Festival (2005).

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

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Infrared Photo Sheds New Light on Ancient Shilla Painting

Two horns circled in red are viewed in this infrared photograph of Cheonmado (Heavenly Horse painting). /Courtesy of the National Museum of Korea

The only surviving painting from the Shilla Kingdom Cheonmado or “Heavenly Horse painting” thought to date from the 6th century, might have to be renamed. The National Museum of Korea on Sunday said an infrared photograph of “Cheonmado” taken during preparations for a special exhibition to celebrate 100th anniversary of the first museum in Korea which starts Tuesday clearly reveals two horns that had been invisible to date.

The shape of the animal, which is hard to make out with the bare eye, is very clearly visible in the 12-megapixel infrared photograph exclusively obtained by the Chosun Ilbo. The head has two symmetrical horns and a big ethereal mane. Kang Woo-bang, a former director of the Gyeongju National Museum, said, “It is certain that this is a painting of a qilin, a mythical creature in the form of horse with two horns. It’s in typical Koguryo style, and it seems the painting was produced in Koguryo and then moved to Shilla.”

The painting was found in Gyeongju, the Shilla capital, in 1973, and the excavation team at the time named it Cheonmado, or “Painting of Heavenly Horse” because it seemed to portray a horse flying in the sky. It was designated National Treasure no. 207. The tomb where the painting was found was named Cheonmachong, Heavenly Horse tomb.

Ahn Hwi-joon, the former head of the government’s Cultural Heritage Committee said, “In Asia, a flying horse is not a spiritual being, but a qilin is a sacred and auspicious animal that also symbolizes a wise king. Since the painting was found in the tomb of a Shilla king, there is every chance that the animal in the painting is actually a spiritual qilin.”

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