Sinjubitgi
Brewing the sacred liquor
12 May at 10 a.m / Chilsadang
The Gangneung Danje Festival begins on the fifth day April of the lunar calendar when the mayor and people of Gangneung offer the rice and malt with which the sacred liquor is to be brewed. The sacred liquor is brewed at Chilsadang, the ancient government office of Gangneung, after shamans perform Purification ritual to cleanse the ritual site of all the impurities.
On this day the entire Gangneung-city enters a period of abstinence and in particulaly the priests and shamans who would carry out the ceremonies purify their minds and bodies.
Daegwallyeong Sansinje, Daegwallyeong Guksa Seonangje
Ritual to Daewallyeong Ridge Mountain Deity
Ritual to Daewallyeong Ridge Royal Tutor tutelary Deity
22 May from 10 a.m to 12 p.m / Daegwallyeong Ridge
Both the rituals are offered at the shrines situated in Dangwallyeong Ridge on the fifteenth day of April on the lunar calendar. General Kim Yusin who defended the nation, became the mountain deity of Daegwallyeong Ridge after his death and Royal Tutor Beomil, who was born in Gangneung and was a highly virtuous and prominent monk of Seon(Zen) Buddhism, became the royal tutor tutelary deity of Daegwallyeong Ridge after his death and functions symbolically as a local guardian deity. The rituals are attended by the people of Gangneung, shamans and officiating priests. After the rituals, the sacred tree(sinmok) is selected and brought down to Gangneung. During the Dano Festival, the sacred tree, as a symbol of the deities, is the object of many prayer's supplications.
Gusan Seonangje, Haksan Seonangje
Ritual to Gusan Seonangje Tutelary Deity
Ritual to Haksan Seonangje Tutelary Deity
22 May from 2 p.m to 5 p.m
Gusan in Seongsan-myeon
village and Haksan village in Gujeong-myeon
The procession descends the 99 hills of Daegwallyeong for the worshipping of the ritual to Gusan Tutelary Deity in Gusan village. Gusan was the gateway to Daegwallyeong Ridge. The shrine situated here was dedicated to the son of Daegwallyeong Ridge Royal Tutor Tutelary Deity.
The ceremonial ritual is followed by the shamanic ritual(gut) performed by the female shamans. After having lunch here, the procession headed towards Haksan Tutelary Deity Shrine in Haksan village. Haksan is the hometown of Royal Tutor Beomil, who became the Royal Tutor Tutelary Deity.
Following the ceremonial ritual, female shamans perform the shamanic ritual to pray good fortune.
Following a simple parking of sacrificial food and drink, the procession visits Seokcheon Well and the Stupa of Gulsansa temple site in the village and leaves for downtown Gangneung. The procession visited this hometown reminds that the people of Gangneung that the legend of Royal Tutor Beomil is based on actual historic fact.
Guksa Yeoseonangje
The ritual of enshrining deity at Daegwallyeong
Ridge Female Tutelary Deity Shrine
22 May from 6 p.m to 7 p.m
Female Tutelary Deity
Shrine in Hongje-dong
Bonganje is the ceremonial ritual of enshrining Royal Tutor Tutelary Deity together with the Female Tutelary Deity at the shrine in Hongje-dong. The Female Tutelary Deity is Lady Jeong, a daughter of a Jeong family and became Royal Tutor Tutelary Deity's wife on the fifteenth day of April according to the lunar calendar, and so even today this is the day on which the royal tutor tutelary deity is carried from Daewallyeong Ridge to the shrine of the female tutelary deity in Hongje-dong.
After the two deities are enshrined together, a ritual is performed. Historical figures, such as General Kim Yusin, Royal Tutor Beomil, and Lady Jeong were reborn as mythical figures and became guardian deities of the Gangneung region, forming the spiritual foundation of the Gangneung Danoje Festival.
Yeongsinje and Yeongsin Haengcha
The ritual of welcoming deity
Welcoming parade
8 June from 6 p.m to 7 p.m / Female Tutelary Deity Shrine in Hongje-dong
Yeongsinje is held on the third day of May on the lunar calendar at the Royal Tutor Female Tutelary Deity Shrine before bringing the male and female tutelary deities to the shamanic ritual site Dano altar by Namdaecheon Stream. The citizens carry Dano Festival lanterns to welcome the tutelary deities and lead them down to the ritual site.
The Dano Festival lanterns are set adrift on Namdaecheon Stream as prayers are offered.
Jojeonje Morning ritual
Jojeonje from 6 June ~13 June at 9 a.m / Dano altar(Danojedan)
Jojeonje is held on the Dano altar every morning at 10 o'clock from the fourth day to the seventh day of May on the lunar calendar.
Since the ritual is dedicated to praying for a bountiful harvest and tranquility in the Gangneung and Yeongdong area, the head figures of organizations in Gangneung become the officiating priests and take turns in serving as the Choheongwan, Aheongwan and Jongheongwan.
Songsinje
Sending off ritual, Returning ritual
13 June at 6 p.m / Dano altar(Danojedan)
On the evening of the seventh day of May on the lunar calendar, sending off ritual is performed to bid farewell to the male and female tutelary deities.
Following the Confucian ritual for sending off the deities, the returning ritual is performed to make sure that the tutelary deities have been served well by the rituals.
The ritual is completed by burning everything that was used in the rituals, including the sacred tree, the paper flowers, the octagonal lanterns, the hand lanterns, and the boat.
