Tis the Season to Venerate Mountains

Yes it’s THAT time of year again, as we await the cherry-blossoms and warmer winds… There are some unusual folk-religious events coming up, some fascinating colorful public shamanism, for those that like to watch that sorta thing. The first 16 days of the Third Moon (by the old Lunar Calendar) is the traditional time for ceremonies venerating the Sanshin mountain-spirits. This big and colorful one in Ui-dong of N.E. Seoul will get going about 9:30am on this coming Sunday March 29th (LC 3.3), and is worth-seeing: http://www.san-shin.net/Samgak-Dodangje-1.html

And the Inwang-san Sanshin-je that is shown on this page from last year: http://www.san-shin.net/Inwang-Sanshinje2008.html will be held again on Friday April 3rd (LC 3.8, the half-moon), probably starting about 10am. Walk up from Dongnipmun Metro Station. I’ll probably be at both of them…

LC 3.15 falls on April 10th this year, and as the traditional / Taejong-gyo “Eocheon-jeol” day it sees Dangun-je, sometimes combined with Sanshin-je, nationwide. The next day (Apr 11, LC 3.16) is when many Buddhist temple perform their own Sanshin-je rituals, like the on at Seoul’s Wangryeong-sa on these pages: http://www.san-shin.net/wangryeongsa-1.html.

The 4th Full Moon always features the amazing ceremonies at the shrines on the Daegwallyeong mountain-pass before Gangneung City’s Dano Festival — will be May 9th this year; see: http://san-shin.org/David-KHU-6.html. The actual Dano holiday (LC 5.5) is May 28th this year.

Right there on one of those first May weekends should be the Pungeo-je or ceremony for good fishing, held at the Port of Incheon City every spring by Madame Kim Kum-hwa (human national treasure shaman for this ritual). It’s a great one to witness. Problem is that it is held on a day that they determine is auspicious, but that hasn’t been decided even yet — makes tourism and research planning very difficult! I will remember to announce it as soon as it gets scheduled.

And of course the gigantic Buddha’s Birthday festivities will be the evening April 26, Seoul downtown, with the actual holiday following on May 2nd, featuring morning rituals at nationwide temples.

If you know of any Sanshin-je or other such activities in other area’s sites, please post about them in the comments here. Otherwise, everyone enjoy the sacred season…