뉴스레터

  The conflict between Korea and China has never been as serious as it is now. Not only is it a civilian conflict, but unfortunately, it has recently expanded to the political sphere. In fact, after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and China, the real conflict began with the cultural dispute, in other words, ‘Dano dispute’ in the spring of 2004, according to the predominant view in academia. The one word, representing one of the significant national holidays of the East, ‘Dano’, has regrettably become a symbol of the cultural clash between Korea and China.

As we know, both Korea and China have celebrated ‘Dano’ as an important folk national holiday on the fifth day of the lunar fifth month since ancient times. While there are common aspects in the records and customs related to Dano found in both countries’ literary records, there are also significant differences.

The Ancient Korean Dano: A Blend of Rituals and Folk Festivals

  In ancient Korea, there are records of Dano being called Surit-nal since the Three Kingdoms period. It was also referred to as Jungojeol, Cheonjungjeol, and Danyang. During the Goryeo dynasty, the royal family conducted ancestor worship on the day of Dano. In 1379, during the reign of King U, records show that “retainers celebrated the Dano festival on behalf of the king”. In 1390, during the reign of King Gongyang, regulations were established for the ancestral rites of the household of the gentry, stating that “appropriate seasonal foods and alcohol should be offered, but no congratulatory messages should be written in Lunar New Year's Day, Dano, and Mid-autumn day”. This indicates that Dano festive day was one of the three major holidays at that time. Both within the royal court and among the public, Dano was celebrated with granting imperial gifts, watching the sport of Korean polo, and various activities like swinging and playing stone battle.

  In the 『Annals of the Joseon Dynasty』, there are records of kings performing Dano festival ceremonies to honor their ancestors. If the king was unable to attend, the crown price would represent him. During the late Joseon period, Hong Daeyong left detailed records in 『Family Rituals Inquiries』 about the preparations for Dano, including the sacrificial offerings and the way of ritual. It means that the royal family and the local gentries surely performed ceremonial rituals on Dano day. As the Confucian-based system of ritual and music firmly took root in Joseon, the ceremonial function of Dano became more prominent compared to the Goryeo period. Both within the royal court and among the public, various martial arts demonstrations such as stone battle and Korean wrestling. In addition to the sports, Dano national holiday was celebrated with various events, including exchanging Dano fans as gifts, washing hair with water infused with sweet flags, swinging, and hanging Dano talismans to exorcise and pray for safety and peace.

Variety of Ancient China: Qu Yuan Culture in the South and Daughters’ Day in the North

According to research, there are as many as 26 different names for Dano. This reflects the diverse legends and customs related to Dano. This also means that the name of Dano varied depending on the region, and time period. According to records from the Ming and Qing dynasties, the northern Dano national holiday was quite different from the southern one. Let’s look at records of the description of the Dano national holiday in the Beijing area:

“From May 1st to 5th, each family cremates their young daughters and decorates their hair with pomegranate flowers, which is called the Daughters’ Day.” 『A Concise Description of the Scenery in the Capital』

“In May, Daughters’ Day is celebrated by tying five-colored Dano threads. Boys wear mugwort leaves on their heads, while girls draw Five Poison Talismans and wear them on their heads.” 『Miscellaneous Notes from Wanyan’s Offices』

  Furthermore, according to 『A Concise Description of the Scenery in the Capital』, the northern regions do not have the dragon boat races or the custom of throwing Zongzi into rivers, which are essential for Dano national holiday. Instead, they only had customs of warding off evil spirits and praying for safety and peace. In fact, the northern regions are geographically unsuitable for dragon boat races, with fewer lakes and rivers than the south. Furthermore, while the dragon faith is common in the south where rice is the staple food, dragon-related rituals might not have been as important in the north where water is less abundant.

  Nor was the Chinese Dano national holiday limited to just May 5th; Some places celebrated from May 1st to May 5th. There were even regions in the Chang River basin where May 5th was called ‘Little Duan Yang’, and May 15th was called ‘Big Duan Yang’, with these two days being the main festival days. This shows that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were rich and varied festivities of Dano due to the significant variation in the customs of Dano between the south and the north, and even within the same region.

Korea Dano Festival, passed down as Local Rituals through Generations

  Let’s take a look at some of Korea’s most iconic Dano festivals that still exist. Gangneung Dano Festival, which centers on rituals for General Kim Yusin, the guardian spirit of the mountain Daegwallyeong, and Imperial Teacher of Daegwallyeong, Bumil, the tutelary deity. The Gyeongsan Jain Dano Festival is known for the rites for General Han and the Female circle dance. In Gangwon Province, there is the ‘Samcheok black gold hairpin ritual’ where a hairpin made of black gold, believed to have been used by King Wang-Geon of Goryeo, is hidden in a small box under a tree in the government office on the east side and then brought out for rites on Dano day. Lastly, in Yeonggwang-gun, South Jeolla Province, there is the ‘Yeonggwang Beopseongpo Dano Festival’. From these names, it can be understood that these festivals are centered on Dano.

  In addition, there is a ritual ceremony for the Three Generals Shrine(Kim Yusin, Su Dingfang, Li Mao) on Dano day in Gunwi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and there is a gut play to honor Munhojang, a guardian spirit of a mountain. In Hapcheon, a ritual ceremony is held to honor Goddess of Correct Vision, a guardian spirit of a mountain. The collective ceremonial characteristics for local guardian spirits remain entirely preserved. Of course, one distinctive aspect of Korean Dano is the shaman’s gut play, which is related to shamanism. Activities such as exchanging Dano fans as gifts, hanging Dano talismans, surichwitteok, a story of a tiger eating mugwort, swinging, and washing hair with water infused with sweet flags are all folk exorcism activities. These are not only meant to wish for the well-being of individuals and village communities participating in the festivities but also to pray for a bountiful harvest.

Chinese Dano National Holiday, also made it to the UNESCO List

  In the mid-20th century, after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, renowned Chinese scholar Yau Guo En, a professor at Peking University, defined the Dano national holiday as follows: “The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is called Dano national holiday. It is the anniversary of the great patriotic poet of the country, Qu Yuan. The people commemorate him by holding various ritual ceremonies on this day every year, expressing their mourning and reverence for him. Among the commemorative rituals, eating Zongzi is the most common, followed by traditional dragon boat races in many parts of the south. In fact, before the 1980s, Professor Yau Guo En’s definition of Dano national holiday did not attract much attention, as traditional national holidays were seen as something to be subverted in revolutionized China. However, after the reform and opening up, with the designation of the Chinese New Year as a legal public holiday, Professor Yau Guo En’s definition of Dano was revisited, and Chinese people began to learn about Qu Yuan. The controversy over Dano national holiday between Korea and China in the spring of 2004 became an opportunity for Chinese people to reflect on their own neglect of traditional national holidays, including Dano national holiday. Following the Korea-China Dano controversy, Dano was officially designated as a legal holiday.

Chinese people now believe that Dano exists because of the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan, and they can eat Zongzi and enjoy the dragon boat race thanks to Qu Yuan.

  In September 2009, Chinese Dano national holiday, which was once believed to have been stolen by Korea, was also listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Since then, China celebrates the grand Dano festival across the mainland every year. On June 11, 2023, a Dano festival was held in Boston, USA, which has no connection to Qu Yuan, with around 30,000 people enthusiastically participating along the Charles River, watching dragon boat races and lion dance performances. This Dano festival, a collaboration between the city of Boston and Hong Kong, has continued for 44 years, maintaining its tradition. This year, the festival was further enhanced by the participation of a large delegation from its sister city, Hangzhou. Chinese people’s affection for Dano national holiday is deeply felt.

Dano for Local Events vs Dano as a National Holiday

  Based on historical records, the term ‘Dano’ and certain customs are assumed to have originated in China and have influenced the Korean Peninsula. Dano was a folk activity as well as a community festival during the summer solstice, where the ancient people sought peace in their villages, praying for the disappearance of diseases, a bountiful harvest, and warding off evil spirits. This is the commonality between the Korean and Chinese Dano. Practices such as washing hair with water infused with sweet flags and warding off evil spirits using mugwort and talisman share similarities.

  On the other hand, there are also many differences between the two countries' Dano. Korea emphasizes Confucian-style collective rituals for local guardian spirit, including shamanism, known as the Dano Ritual. There are records of state-organized rituals, in which sacrifices were given to heaven on Dano day during the Yuan Dynasty in China as well. However, after the Ming and Qing dynasties, there is no evidence of collective rituals. The origins of Dano in China are associated with historical figures like Qu Yuan, Wu Zixu, King Goujian, Jiezitui, and Cao E. On the other hand, in Korea, there are historical figures like General Kim Yusin and Imperial Teacher Bumil, as well as legendary figures like General Han and Munhojang. In summary, Korean Dano primarily revolves around rituals related to village guardian spirits, shamanism, warding off evil spirits, and prayer rituals for a good harvest.

  On the other hand, Chinese Dano focuses on commemorating Qu Yuan, warding off evil spirits, prayer rituals for a good harvest, and peace and good fortune. Activities like dragon boat races and eating Zongzi are a combination of the ritual commemorating Qu Yuan and the concept of southern religious beliefs, in which people pray for a bountiful harvest by comforting dragons.

Holiday Culture is Meaningful when Enjoying Together

  Before and after Dano day, many Chinese people exchange Dano greetings on social media, such as ‘have a peaceful Dano’. Just like the greetings exchanged during the Chinese New Year. Therefore, it can be said that Dano has been completely restored as a national holiday in China. So, what is the meaning of Dano for Koreans? Except for a few regions where the Dano festival is still practiced, for most Koreans, Dano is perhaps just an ordinary day. There are almost no words of blessing exchanged on Dano day. For Koreans, Dano has lost its significance as a national holiday for a long time. Only a few local festivals in certain regions, with rituals related to Dano, remain.

  Dano was a source of cultural conflict between Korea and China. Currently, both countries have listed Dano as a World Cultural Heritage. The purpose of registering our precious cultural heritages with UNESCO is not about dividing what is mine and what is yours, but it is about the collective effort of all humanity to cherish and protect them together.