Jung-ak-dan is an altar for praying to the Spirit of the Mountain Kyeryong which has been believed to be one of the most spiritual mountains in Korea. The territory of the Jungakdan,  mainly consisting of one building and its courtyard, has a calm sacred symmetric balance. The 3-bay building, which was rebuilt in 1879, is enclosed by the continuous rectangular wall to make the place for concentrated worship. The royal family of the Choson dynasty performed the religious service for the Mountain Spirit at the building every year. In April 1998, the annual religious service for the Mountain Spirit has been resumed to bridge the gap of one century when such a service was not performed.

During the service, the Jungakdan building and its courtyard are crowded with many people who have come from all over Korea to experience the service. The service is accompanied by the Tea Dedication Ceremony and a series of fascinating Shamanic dances and Gut or exorcisms.
Gut is a traditional artistic prayer which is composed of  vocal and instrumental music and dance.
The Shamans or exorcists who perform Gut in this service are the highest-level masters in Korea. The audience is moved by their wonderful performances which usually have exactly repeating rhythms as well as resonant energy. The mood of the service is exalted by the folk music bands whose members are the villagers from the neighboring villages of the Jungakdan. Their musical performances are a kind of magnetic pole which attracts and unifies the people of different generations. Here, we see a rare human solidarity which has slipped from our memories.

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Then, what about the future of the Jungakdan? It certainly depends on the next generation, the children......
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