Seonang-dang Shrine

Korean Folk Village
Yongin City, Korea

According to its signage (lower photo), Seonang-dang is a tree shrine (another example) for the village god. The piled-up stones are wishes for good luck, the colored banners guard the five directions (four plus the center) against bad luck, and the white papers are prayer strips. Of course this is a theme park, not a working village. But the shrine itself is bivalent, or so it seems to me; a park exhibit to be sure, but also a "real" shrine that protects the park.

People have been piling up stones since basically forever, both as trail markers and for artistic or symbolic reasons. Directional symbols range from the practical (military flags) to the spiritual (directional animals and guardians of the temple or tomb). Prayer strips are offerings, bought and paid for at the shrine, that entreat the gods for a positive outcome.