The tradition of holding a heavenly ritual at Taebaek-san Mountains can be understood by dividing it into three types established by the author. Among them, the village guardian deity was built in a village where the village guardian deity was represented. Cheonje-dan Altar was established before the end of the Joseon Dynasty, and many of them have been found in the southern part of Yeongdong, Gangwon Province, centering on Taebaek-san Mountains.
Specific examples can be found at Cheonje-dang, located in Solan Village and Baeksan Village, Taebaek City. In these villages, cattle are prepared as sacrifices every other year to hold a heavenly ritual. In Solan Village, the representative of Baeksan Village and the sub-village participate. In Baeksan Village, the representative of Solan Village and the sub-village people join the rite. I don’t know when, but in the past, there was a village called Seonang- dang, which belonged to Solan Village or Baeksan Village, and it was said that Seonangje was held separately from Cheonje, which oversees Baeksan Village or Solan Village.
In Daehyeon-ri, Seokpo-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, representatives of sub-villages and officiants who make up Daehyeon-ri on April 8 of the lunar calendar hold the Cheonje Altar in Daehyeon-ri to pray for the well-being, abundance and harmony of all residents of Daehyeon-ri. Of course, in Seonang-dang, a sub-village unit, sub-villages themselves perform Seonangje on the first day of the year.
As can be seen in the above example, there are many cases of holding a rite at the foot of Mt. Taebaek-san and Gangneung, which are held annually in the village’s Cheonje-dan, which encompasses sub-villages. In these villages, it can be seen that the people of the village behold the heavenly gods, which are regarded as higher spirits than the spirits of the village, to pray for the religious wishes of the villagers and to promote harmony among all villagers.