Taebaek-san

Cheonje-dan Heavenly Ritual Shrine, Taebaek-san

The “Grand White Mountain” is a Provincial Park sitting on the southern border of Gangwon Province, a key point on the “Baekdu-daegan” spine of Korea. It is one of South Korea's holiest mountains, famous for its nationalistically-oriented Shamanic energies. It is host to many important Shamanic shrines, grand annual ceremonies and several small Buddhist temples. It shares the same name with the mythical mountain on which Korea's semi-divine founding-king was born, and therefore features the Cheonje-dan [Heavenly-Ritual Shrine] where the spectacular annual Cheonje [Ceremony for Heaven] is held on the Gaecheon-jeol [Opening Heaven Day or National Foundation Holiday], October 3rd.

Preparations for Cheonje ceremony, Cheonje-dan Heavenly Ritual Shrine, Taebaek-san

Pilgrims at Cheonje ceremony, Cheonje-dan Heavenly Ritual Shrine, Taebaek-san

Cheonje ceremony, Cheonje-dan Heavenly Ritual Shrine, Taebaek-san

Sanshin Mountain-spirit, Taebaek-san

Martin Gray is a cultural anthropologist, writer and photographer specializing in the study of pilgrimage traditions and sacred sites around the world. During a 40 year period he has visited more than 2000 pilgrimage places in 165 countries. The World Pilgrimage Guide at sacredsites.com is the most comprehensive source of information on this subject.

For additional information by Professor David Mason, visit san-shin.net.

For information about traveling to Korean sacred sites, contact Roger Shepherd.

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