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Home >Historical Sites > Folklore materials > Folk play
Folk play
The manners or folk customs change along with the changes of the people’s lives according to the trend of the period. The folk customs, which were popular for some time, disappear unnoticed, and new manners appear.
Department of Tourism Promotion, of Chuncheon city : 82-33-250-3064
The Seoksa farm music consists of a total of six madangs. In the 1st madang, people enter in a column three deep, led by agricultural tools. The people makes a round in a line following a leading-gong player and greeted. In the 2nd madang, people plays the farm music play making a rank that looks like a bending trail. In the 3rd madang, people plays the farm music play making the rank like a stretching form, while coming and going forward and backward. In the 4th madang, people play the farm music play making the rank like a cross form. In the 5th madang, people play the farm music play according to the direction of the leading-gong player, while making a column five deep. In the 6th madang, people play the farm music play making the rank like a V form.
It consists of the religious service and turtle play.
The turtle play is played by the youth mainly in Chungcheong-do and Gyeonggi-do on the Korean thanksgiving day.
The turtle form is made by the millet stalk straw, sedge, vine, and bamboo, etc. and
two people enter the turtle form to stand, and then walk like a turtle.
People drive the turtle after fastening a string on the neck of the turtle, and behind it, the farm band follow, and behind the farm band, people who were disguised stand in a line.
People play the farmer’s musical instruments and then go to a relatively affluent house in the village and say, “From the east sea, we came to here”. Then, the owner of the house treated foods, saying, “You did a good job in coming to here”.
While people play for a long time, if the turtle lies on its face on the ground and does not move, the owner treat crops such as the rice and barley, etc., in addition to the foods, saying, ” The turtle is exhausted since it crossed the East Sea.”
The crops gathered like this are used as common expenses for the village.
Sanje is performed even today, and for further information, please refer to <Folks of Chuncheon that have been transmitted currently>.
This play was previewed as a part of the opening ceremony of the 1st Soyang Festival in 1983, so that it was opened to the general public.
In the event before the ceremony of the 66th national athlete meeting, a large size of 7,000 people were mobilized for this trial performance.
Regarding the detailed athlete meeting methods, there are many different theories even today.
The Chuncheon Society & Culture Research Institute studied the historical evidence about this play starting from the middle of the 1990s, opened a seminar by inviting famous folk scholars from the whole nation, and through these, it intends to restore the Chuncheon fighting play with the cart of an only wheel. Based on these results, it is developing this play into a folk, which can be transmitted actually, by forming a connection with the elementary school.
For further information, please refer to <Folks of Chuncheon that are handed down by records>.
Entering the fortress: People, who were parted into two sides, enter led by a flag respectively. The march for building the mountain fortress starts. In this process, the people sing the ‘Arirang Taryeong’.
Building the fortress : People progress the building. They prop stones by the lever, carry stones, which were carried by them, with the aid of poles to build a mountain fortress.
Signal fire: After building the mountain fortress, they light a signal fire. The side that finished the work first lights the signal fire.
Mountain god religious service: People perform a religious service to the god of Mt. Bonguisan and have a good play
Climbing down the mountain : All of the people climb down the mountain led by the farm band.
Six to seven people got aboard a raft and reached the entrance of Gongjicheon ascending the old Daebati river submerged by the lake, so that this play was represented after around 40 years.
Texts of Raft Arirang (part)
Since water is released on the Usu day or Gyeongchip day
The raft of Hapgangjeong river floats to come.
Ari-Ari Sseuri-Sseuri Arariyo
Let’s turn round Poari in Songsan

When we float a raft in Changrang
Arirang Taryeong is sorrowful.
Ari-Ari Sseuri-Sseuri Arariyo
Let’s go through the shallow in Bomaegi

Whore, prepare the liquor
It is floated to the shallow in Bomaegi
Ari-Ari Sseuri-Sseuri Arariyo
Let’s turn around Nuiyeok rock to go
My hubby on the raft was good, and then
Poari of Sinyeon river says good-bye
Ari-Ari Sseuri-Sseuri Arariyo
Find to visit the inside water road at the old woman shallow

The pavilion on Mt. Bonguisan is the pavilion for sightseeing
Let’s meet at the pavilion around Soyang river
Ari-Ari Sseuri-Sseuri Arariyo
Let’s turn around Poari of Sinyeon river to go

Uprising of loyal soldiers
- While the military band is leading, soldiers, gunners, Confucian scholars, peasants, and merchants, etc enter together.
- With shouts and gun sounds, they march upon the Gwanchalbu(administrative office) and occupy it.
- The government officer, who opposed in the Gwanchalbu, was captured out, and all other government officers flee.
- The people raise the flag of loyal soldiers.
Establishment of the camp of loyal soldiers
- Chuncheon residents come in groups.
- People determine to have Seupjae Lee So-Eung as the general of loyal soldiers.
- People perform the Geoui Seocheon religious service pompously in the altar on Mt. Bonguisan, and pledge to resist.
- People read aloud the Changuigyeokmun(writings) and distribute the Sabaltongmun.(writings)
Marching upon Seoul : The queue of loyal soldiers is marching
- March led by various flags, while playing the military music.
- The splendid queue of loyal soldiers including the general of loyal soldiers and the officer riding on a mule or donkey is showcased to the general public.
- The disguise queue of loyal soldiers is progressed simultaneously.
Beoleopsan Fight
- Represent the brave fights of loyal soldiers by using touchholes, bows, and stone-throwing, etc.
- Perform the ceremony of burning the Japanese soldiers to death at the stake.
Hanmadang Play
- The military band, soldiers, and populaces turn round according to the music, while making a round.
- At this time, the Gobyeongjeong-gasa, Ansaram-uibyeong-ga, and Chuncheon loyal soldier arirang are sung.
111 Okcheon-Dong, Chuncheon-si Gangwon-do 200-708 Republic of Korea
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