The people of Songhak-ri, Tancheon-myeon, Gongju Cityhold a Jangseung ceremony each 15th of January by the lunar calendar to wish for the wellbeing of the village. With its 480 year history, Gongju’s Tancheon Jangseung Ceremony is No. 8 on the list of Non-tangible Cultural Assets of Chungnam Province and the village’s religious service and folk event that the entire village participates in.
The East and West village of Songhak-ri are carefully building a new pole and Jangseung for the new year and are installing them after eradicating the old ones that protected the villagers last year. During the service, the villagers pray for the wellbeing and harmony of the village. The East and West villages marry their poles and male and female Jangseungs to symbolize their unity. After the service is over, the villagers from the East and West village exchange visits with each other, enjoying food and liquor and having a good time deep into the night.
The next afternoon, they gather together to wrap up the event and discuss large and small affairs of the village. After having a feast together, they play Yut in groups and spend time together until the end of the day when the Jangseung Ceremony is officially ended.
Appointed as the model school to practice the ceremony, Tancheon Middle School in Gongju holds the ceremony at a sports meeting every year with the students playing the leading role in preserving the tradition.