Gilsangsa Temple

Gilsangsa Temple is located in the Seongbuk-dong neighborhood of northern Seoul. The temple was built on the site of a fancy restaurant called Daewongak. The restaurant owner donated her property to the revered Buddhist monk Venerable Bupjeong (1932-2010), who turned the property into a temple that opened in 1997. Although Gilsangsa has a relatively short history, it is conveniently located in the heart of Seoul so it attracts many local and international visitors alike. 

The temple also serves as a downtown cultural space by offering a variety of Buddhist programs like temple experience, classes on Buddhist teachings, and templestay. The temple features Gilsang Seonwon (zen center) and the House of Silence, which are special halls dedicated to practicing meditation. While Gilsang Seonwon provides meditation rooms for Buddhists with experience in meditation, the House of Silence is open to the general public at liberty to pursue personal meditation. Gilsangsa also has a branch temple in Paris.

Buddha Tongil Daebul

This 15 m high Buddha sits with legs crossed, eyes half-closed in meditation and lips displaying a perceivable smile. It was said that within the hollow statue were three pieces of the Buddha’s sari collected after his cremation (donated by the Myanmar government) and the Tripitaka or the original Buddhist scriptures. Its name represents Korean’s sincere wish to reunify the divided country.

Andong Mask Festival

The Andong area has a variety of socio-historical and religious heritages from different periods, from ancient times to the present. Andong holds the largest number of cultural properties in Korea. It reveals a very vivid picture of the aesthetics and traditions of the Orient. We can find not only tangible cultural and historical heritages like ancient villages, but also many intangible cultural properties of the Andong tradition such as Cha-Jeon-Nori (demonstration of Battle game, involving hundreds of men working together), Not-Dari-Balgi (a female play), Traditional wedding, and Haeng-Sang-Sori (demonstration of funeral ceremony). These plays are an amazing spectacle and a really unique experience to be had at the festival.

The abundant cultural heritage of Andong is attributed to the worth-oriented philosophy of the Andong people who have coped with numerous social changes and positively adapted to new cultural traditions. Hence, various elements of Oriental culture have flowed into Andong and been re-synthesized into the distinctive Andong way of life and culture.

These socio-cultural, historical and religious heritages are the basis of the Maskdance Festival. We can learn quiet composure and mindfulness through understanding the significance of traditions through the excitement of the Mask dance. The program for the 2007 Mask dance Festival is conscientious of our local heritage and the importance of sharing it with others.  http://www.maskdance.com/english/sub1/sub3.asp

Korean Fan Dancers

Dancers use large fans painted with pink peony blossoms and display a show of dance. In the dance being performed, the dancers represent shaped images using the fans such as birds, flowers, butterflies and waves.

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

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Japan

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Republic of India

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