Shamanic sites at Korea's rooster-dragon mountain

The Sinwon-sa Jungak-dan (Central Peak Altar), last rebuilt by Joseon royalty in 1776. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

By David A. Mason

In the middle of May, amid glorious Korean spring weather, I led a nice group of people on a tour of a dozen shamanic shrines in the foothills of Gyeryongsan National Park, one of Korea's most sacred areas.

Mount Gyeryong has been one of Korea's most sacred mountains since ancient times. It was the central holy mountain of the Baekje Kingdom (18 BCE to 660 CE), the western peak of the "O-ak" (Five Guardian Mountains) system of the Unified Silla (668-935) and Goryeo (918-1392) dynasties and the central peak of the same system of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

It's not very high at all ― the summit is Cheonhwang-bong (Heavenly King Peak) at only 848 meters ― but it stands out prominently on the west coast flatlands where few mountains top 1,000 meters. It has a half-dozen other main peaks, mostly with classical Buddhist names.

Guardian spirits enshrined in a cave are seen at the Dongja Gutdang Shrine. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

The name, Gyeryong, means "Rooster-Dragon," given because of the way it looks ― the main ridge winds around like a dragon's body, and the 20 or so sharp peaks along it resemble a cockscomb when viewed from a distance. Both the rooster and the dragon are members of the 12 symbolic animals of the Oriental Zodiac, and thus the name has deeper resonant meanings. That "gye" can also be read as "phoenix" ― the firebird that serves as a mythical heavenly animal counterpart to the Blue Dragon ― giving the "Dragon-Phoenix Mountain" a profound yin-yang meaning.

The name "Gyeryong" also may have been derived from the myth of Alyeong, the first queen of Silla, as told in the Samguk Yusa. When King Bak Hyeok-geose, the founding king of Silla and the progenitor of all Park clans, was born (hatched from a giant egg found next to the Na-jeong Well on sacred Mount Nam, in the valley of Saro Village, which later became Gyeongju), the elders decided that a suitable wife needed to be found. On that day, in Saryang Village, there appeared a strange creature that was a cross between a rooster and a dragon, called a "gyeryong." From its left side, a girl was born (similar to the myth of Sakyamuni Buddha being born from his mother's right side, and maybe also similar to the Jewish myth of Eve?). She was a beautiful child, but she had the beak of a chicken over her mouth. The only problem with the idea of this myth being the origin of this mountain's name is that Gyeongju is very far from it, and it was the center of a different and enemy kingdom!

A full assembly of shamanic spirits, fronted by a Yong-wang (Dragon-King) statue, is seen at the Cheonhwang-dang Gutdang Shrine. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

This mountain was thought to be extremely sacred since the days of Baekje and then Unified Silla, and its supreme holiness was designated by Doseon Guksa, a highly enlightened scholastic and meditation master as well as a renowned geomancer-prophet. Several dynasties have planned or attempted to build their capital here, and it has always attracted a wide variety of religious enthusiasm to its slopes.

Mount Gyeryong is now the most-visited attraction in South Chungcheong Province, located just west of Daejeon and easily accessible by expressway. In 1968 it became the second area designated as a national park, with 61 square kilometers of territory. It features three main ancient Buddhist temples ― Gap Temple (one of the oldest existing temples in Korea), Donghak Temple (the secondary main study-temple for the nation's female monks) and Sinwon Temple (featuring Korea's largest and fanciest pre-modern hall venerating the mountain spirit) ― and dozens of fascinating hermitages and shamanic shrines.

The Sinwon-sa Jungak-dan (Central Peak Altar), last rebuilt by Joseon royalty in 1776. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

The rest of the park is crisscrossed with a dozen major hiking trails, often crowded. Three fine waterfalls grace the valleys, one in the center, two in the south (closed to the public) and the other on the northwest. The scenery here, combined with profound cultural treasures, makes it one of the best places in Korea to explore. The regions surrounding the park in every direction are unusually rich with traditional and modern cultural sites for the traveler to enjoy. There might be up to 100 religious and spiritual sites on and around this one small but steep mountain!

Mount Gyeryong's name means "Rooster-Dragon" due to its shape. This is where the annual festival venerating its powerful spirit is held. / Courtesy of David A. Mason.

There is widespread shamanic veneration of the goddess of Mount Gyeryong, long believed to be female and highly powerful. There is a grand annual weekend festival held by the Gongju Folk-Drama Association and the Gongju government, on the third full moon of the lunar calendar, venerating this mighty mountain-spirit with Buddhist, Daoist, neo-Confucian and shamanic ceremonies. It takes place in a farming village just outside of Sinwon Temple on the western foot of the great mountain, outside the border of Gyeryongsan National Park, and within the southern border of Gongju City in South Chungcheong Province. It is named the "Mount Gyeryong Mountain-Spirit Ceremonial Festival" and if you ever wish to attend, info can be seen on the internet, but only in Korean.

A portrait of the Mount Gyeryong goddess is displayed at the Cheonhwang-dang Gutdang Shrine near Sinwon Temple. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

Sindo-an was Mount Gyeryong's traditionally most sacred area, the large valley at the southern foot of Heavenly King Summit, initially favored for the site of the capital city of Goryeo in 935 and briefly chosen by geomancers as the site for the capital of Joseon in 1390 (foundation stones were laid just before Joseon's Founding King Yi Taejo changed his mind and made Hanyang/Seoul his new capital, following the advice of geomancy-master-monk Muhak-daesa, who based it on his new interpretation of the advice/prophecy of Doseon-guksa). This holy southern valley was taken over as the headquarters base of the Republic of Korea Army in the late 1970s, and is closed to the public. The many shamans practicing there in centuries-old shrines were forced to move out, scattering to other areas all around this prominent mountain.

A tree is richly festooned at the Janggun Gutdang Shrine. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

Our group visited Geumryong-am (Golden Dragon Hermitage), a small but dramatically sited Buddhist retreat-house about half a mile up a deep, narrow stream-gorge behind Sinwon Temple, and at its entrance is the trailhead on the way up to Yeoncheon-bong Peak. Behind the small temple is a waterfall gushing between boulders and plenty of exposed rock upon which a half-dozen shamanic altars stand. The waterfall is believed to be home to the Golden Dragon Spirit, and there is a Daoist hall in front of it enshrining that theme, with a window above the empty main altar offering a view of the torrents. Its rear wall has a large mural of the Bodhisattva of Compassion riding cross-legged on, yes, a golden dragon. Korean shamanic dragon-worship activities are conducted by visiting practitioners at these shrines almost any day or night of the year; it is one of the nation's most prominent sites for these powers among those insiders in the know, but virtually unknown to the general Korean public (to say nothing of the international community!).

The Bodhisattva of Compassion is depicted riding on the Golden Dragon, at the Daoist shrine for that beast living in the most worshipped waterfall in Korea. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

There is also an excellent San-shin shrine just across from the Golden Dragon Daoist Hall, featuring a unique and wonderful mountain spirit painting. A husband-and-wife team is depicted, each with their own two attendants and tiger (and a third baby tiger being fed by a tiny attendant!). Yin-yang polarities abound in this mandala ― including that the "Holy Mother San-shin" holds a ginseng root ("yang") and leaf-fan ("eum" or yin) while the "Divine Father San-shin" holds a dragon-head staff ("yang") and bullocho mushroom sprigs ("eum" or yin).

A husband-and-wife San-shin pair are seen at Bodeok Gutdang, the Treasure-Virtue Shamanic Shrine. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

The Korean American Shaman posted afterwards on Facebook: "Another amazing spot on Gyeryong-san is the shrine for a golden manifestation of the Dragon King, Yongwang. The shrine looks out toward a sacred site where the Dragon spirit resides. This is the spot where I felt the most interesting energy throughout my visit. The Dragon King rules water, The Mountain God, Sanshin, rules land and is associated with the tiger. Although no physical tigers or dragons roam the land and sea, I felt their energetic presence."

After a thorough tour of that exciting place, we walked back down the lovely forested road above the gorge, to historic Sinwon Temple founded 1,400 years ago. On a large plateau its rear stands the 250-year-old royal mountain spirit shrine that still venerates the "Central Peak of the Kingdom," remarkably authentic and the only remaining such one. It just so happened that on that day the temple was beginning a Baegil-gido (100-day prayer-ceremony) for Mount Gyeryong's venerable spirit, and so the courtyard was filled with lay worshipers and several monks were performing ritual chanting accompanied by Korea's unique "moktak" wooden hand drums. We marveled at the excellent Sanshin icon-painting over the main altar, and the wonderful woodworks of the old shrine.

A monk chants to the mountain spirit inside the Jungak-dan Shrine, beginning a 100-day prayer ceremony. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

Then we walked back to the national park entrance to get a great country-style lunch nearby; the old grandmother who has run the hikers' restaurant for decades was very friendly as usual, as we enjoyed her delicious changguk-jang (fermented soybean stew) and kong-guksu (cold soymilk-sauce noodles).

After this nutritious refreshment, we crossed the stream on a rickety old bridge and strolled through the village where the annual mountain spirit festival is held, with superb views of the holy mountain and on up the road. The modern shamanic shrines are very dense there, and we just walked from one to the next, choosing only the best ones that I know of.

A "gut" ceremony is performed at the Sanshin Gutdang Shamanic Shrine. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

We spent four hours viewing eight sites, openly shamanic shrines and small temples outwardly Buddhist but with strong shamanic components. All of them had with unique arrangements according to their natural landscapes, and an incredible variety of colorful artworks of all the various deities! I explained the identity and significance of each major work as best as I could, and we marveled over the multiplicity of their motifs. This is one of the very few areas in Korea where shamanism is fully legal, and is now practiced so very openly and proudly. The "mudang" (shamans) who owned and operated each one were very kind and welcoming to us. Few non-Koreans ever get to see places like this, and most Koreans don't either!

Mason visits a mudang (shaman) at her Dan-gun-am Shrine. / Courtesy of David A. Mason

As the shadows grew long, we were driven back to the KTX train station to return to Seoul, with our sore feet and hundreds of rare photos. All agreed it was a great day….

The Korean American Shaman posted afterwards on Facebook: "The images of the shaman shrines in Gyeryongsan Mt are vivid within my mind's eye. The shrines built around natural rock formations are my favorite. One of the most powerful is the one without any anthropomorphic figures representing the mountain and ancestral spirits. What an amazing place! The energy of the land has fueled me to move to the next stage of my spiritual development. I'm hooked ― I will return annually."

David A. Mason is a cultural tourism professor at Sejong University. He has published about 10 books related to Korean spiritualism and also provides lectures and tours, as well as running the website san-shin.org. He will lead a tour to Mount Gyeryong's shamanic shrines this Saturday. He is also available to lead private groups that book a trip. Contact him at fb.com/mntnwolf or mntnwolf@gmail.com for details and to reserve a place.