Dano refers to "high day" or "day of god," a folk holiday that falls on the fifth of May on the lunar calendar. (All the dates in this article are lunar.) The Gangneung Danoje festival inherits the tradition of Surinal. As "five" was the number representing vigor, ancient wisdom believed, 5/5 must be twice as auspicious. Originally, in farming communities, Dano was a festive day; a day to rest after harvesting barley and planting rice. The day also featured a good harvest prayer ceremony.
While Dano, as a seasonal festive day, originated from China and was shared by Northeast Asian countries during the middle ages, successive generations have transformed Gangneung Danoje into a comprehensive festival unique to the Korean Peninsula. In other words, Danoje as practiced in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is a regional festival cultivating a sense of community among residents on the east side of Daegwallyeong Ridge in Yeong-dong. During the festival, people pay homage to three tutelary deities: Silla General Kim Yusin, who contributed to the first unification of the peninsula; Holy Monk Beomil, a native of Gangneung and the spiritual leader of the founding fathers of the Goryeo Dynasty; and a female figure who embodied the sufferings from natural disasters and hardships.
Gangneung Danoje is very similar to the Owolje of Mahan, an ancient tribal state on the Korean Peninsula (1 B.C.-3 A.D.), especially in terms of the time of year and characteristic prayer for a rich harvest. According to historical accounts of Owolje, people worshiped spirits in May after planting rice and gathered to sing, dance and drink together for days and nights. The dance consisted of tens of people forming a line, stomping their feet and repetitively raising and lowering their hands. The dance reflected the moves of farmers praying for a good harvest and resembled Nongak (farmers' music) played during the Gangneung Danoje.
Gangneung Danoje, the largest traditional festival in Korea, takes place in and around Yeong-dong in central Gangneung for almost a month from April to early May. It begins with the brewing of wine for the gods on April 5. On April 15, ceremonies are held to bring down the gods from Guksa Altar on Daegwallyeong Ridge and enshrine them in Guksayeo Altar in downtown Gangneung. The festival reaches its peak from May 3 to May 7 when numerous events are held in areas along the city's Namdae-cheon (stream). On the 7th, a ceremony is held to send the gods back to their original places.
Gangneung Danoje is valued because it has continued for approximately a thousand years and reflects the history and life of commoners. In particular, its spiritual background mixes Korean traditional religions such as Confucianism, Shamanism, Buddhism and Taoism and offers a diversity of ceremonies and performances. The music, dance, literature, drama and handicraft's on display are of high artistic value.
Moreover, Gangneung Danoje serves as an opportunity to preserve traditional culture. During the festival, people are brought into contact with religious ceremonies, the Dano Gut (a shaman's rite), mask dramas, Nongak and Nongyo (farmers' songs) and various other intangible cultural heritages of remarkable artistic value. Other inherited traditional customs include trapeze riding, washing one's hair with iris water and eating Surichwi rice cakes.
Bearing the cultural prototype of Korean festivities, Gangneung Danoje serves not only as a channel to transmit traditional culture but also as an educational experience. It is a democratic festival with a Residents' Committee for Gangneung Danoje selected to reflect local opinions into the planning, budgeting and execution of events. The 30-day festival draws more than one million visitors from home and abroad including 230,000 Gangneung citizens.
The cultural uniqueness and remarkable artistic qualities of Gangneung Danoje, Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 13, were acknowledged by UNESCO, and it was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 25th 2005.
