Danggan
Danggan (Hangul: 당간; Hanja: 幢竿), also known as Buddhist temple flagpole, is a tall pole originally erected at the entrance of Korean Buddhist temples. Its purpose was to fly large ceremonial banners called dang (幢) during major Dharma assemblies, rituals, or to adorn the Buddha hall. It also served to mark the sacred boundary of the temple precincts.
Danggan were usually over 10 metres tall. Early ones were made of wood (approximately 30 cm in diameter), but later examples were made of iron, bronze, or stone. To prevent the pole from swaying or falling, a pair of stone supports called dangganjiju (당간지주, 幢竿支柱) were erected on either side.
Danggan first appeared during the Unified Silla period and became widespread in the Goryeo period when Buddhism was the state religion. From the late Goryeo onward, they gradually became mixed with geomantic (風水) and prognostic beliefs (圖讖). In the Joseon period, under the policy of venerating Confucianism and suppressing Buddhism (崇儒抑佛), new danggan were rarely erected in temples. Instead, the tradition survived in secular form as town flagpoles (邑治幢竿 → 솟대 sotdae), suppression poles (진대 jindae), and finally as village guardian poles still called 짐대 or 솟대 today.
Surviving examples
Because most danggan were made of wood, few original poles remain. The surviving metal and stone examples are highly valued:
- Iron flagpole at Yongdusa Temple site, Cheongju (National Treasure)
- Gilt-bronze dragon-head ornament from Yongdusa (National Treasure)
- Stone flagpole outside Dongjeommun Gate, Naju (Treasure)
- Iron flagpole at Gapsa Temple, Gongju (Treasure, Unified Silla period)
- Stone flagpole at Gaeksari, Damyang (Treasure)
Notably, the iron flagpoles at Gapsa (Gongju), the stone flagpole at Gaeksari (Damyang), and the one at Chiljangsa Temple, Anseong no longer have fixtures for hanging banners. This is because, from late Goryeo onward, they came to serve a geomantic function (비보 裨補) of “pressing down” strong earthly energy (地氣) at the site.[1]
References
- ↑ "하늘과 땅을 연결하는 축, 짐대와 당간". Cultural Heritage Administration. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
External links
- Cultural Heritage Administration – Monthly Cultural Heritage: Danggan that Adorned and Protected Temples[dead link]
