South Korea
Andong Mask Dance Festival
The restless spirits wanted appeasing so a plan was struck. One night one of them entered the dream of a young member of the Ho clan and instructed him to make wooden masks to be used in a ritual dance for the spirits’ pleasure.
The spirits warned him that he must keep the process secret upon the penalty of immediate death.
Ho left his family and lover behind and headed for the solitude of the nearby mountains where deep inside a cave he began his decreed task, and there he worked until the hundredth day when his yearning lover searched out his hideaway.
The instant that she peeked at Ho and the masks, he began to spit up blood and died.
Eight hundred years later Ho’s village, Hahoe, still remains, nestling in a bend of the Naktong River.
Guarded by the steep rocky cliffs of Puyongdae across the river to the north and a wall of pine tree forests and rugged mountains to the south, the Ho’s village escapes the ravages of wars and retain the rich history.
This successful cultural co-existence, which is evident the moment foot is set inside the village proper, is treasured and closely guarded by its residents. While visitors are welcomed to Hahoe its tranquility and charm can only become a part of one’s life through marriage into the Ryu clan.
The allure of this weekend destination is immediate and compelling. The irrepressible feeling is one of levity and joy borne of casual strolls, picnics on the wide sandy beach and frolics in the shallows of the river.
The village, embraced by the river, was once regarded to represent a boat (or lotus flower). This virtual absence of stone as a building material, something that sets Hahoe aside from other national and international historic sites, further adds to this feeling, as if one is travelling back into time.
Unlike many Korean villages where all the houses face south, the dwellings in this community are oriented in all four cardinal directions each capturing a unique aspect of the theatre beyond.
Graced by raised gates representing the power and social status of the clan, the stately buildings of the yangbang stand impressively. The village also houses eighteen cultural properties. The government has put its effort to ensure that the buildings are untainted by modern life, including the laying of underground electricity in the 1990’s and an application to list it in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Additionally the village is the home of many traditional festivals including the Hahoe Mask Dance and in particular the Pyolshin Kut, a dance which gave common people the opportunity to mock those in authority.
The biggest event at Hahoe is the Andong Mask Dance Festival. The festival showcases many Korean and international dance troupe and pays homage to the tradition that was borne at Ho’s village, including the Hahoe sunyu-julbul-nori (Korean traditional fireworks).
The Andong Mask Dance Festival is held in early/mid October each year.