4342  Lunar 3.8  --  the "Second"
Inwang-san Sanshin-je Ceremony
Held on April 3rd 2009 by a Nationalist-Shamanic Association
of Koreans who highly venerate this sacred mountain
at the Guksa-dang Shrine
This year's event was better-publicized in advance, but the date was changed from Lunar 3.3
(Sunday March 29th) to 3.8 (Friday April 3rd) -- I haven't found out why -- which certainly reduced
the amount of people who could attend, and mystifies me -- I suppose that calculations of the most
auspicious day were more important than attracting wider attendance.   This year was also
different in being held right at the famous Guksa-dang National Spirit Shrine, instead of further up
the slope.  There is not much more space for viewers than above, as the Guksa-dang's courtyard
is quite narrow.
This event's organizer was again the "Han-guk Mushin-gyo Yeonhap-hoi" -- the symbol on
their flag is an interesting 5-color reworking of Korea's traditional Sam-Taegeuk.
Despite cloudy grey skies and a lingering chill breeze (Spring came late this year) a good crowd
was there by 11am and it was another significant step in these modern neo-traditionalist revivals
of  important ancient customs of venerating these holy crags.  Several leading manshin
shamanists and trad-nationalists performed six hours of vibrant ceremonies.
Offerings on the Main Altar
the Altar inside the Shrine
Secondary Altar in the Courtyard
spiritually warming-up
It was interesting that she used the Republic of Korea's national flag so extensively, in the five
colors that this Association uses as motif -- this is a fairly-new and rapidly-spreading practice,
replacing the standard colored flags which are plain or had Shamanic symbols on them.
Announcement-Poster for this event,  and a
hand-written "shopping-list" of foods and drinks
to be prepared for the ceremony (both posted at
the Yong-wang-gak a few weeks in-advance).
a few of my
Kyung Hee
University
students