According to a local legend, a phoenix used to stop over in this small village at the foot of Bongdusan. In Donggye-ri, its residents observe an old custom passed down from generations before them. Every year, they perform a rite in honor of the guardian god of their village to pray for a bounteous harvest and the peace of the village.

The village guardian god's rite takes place in the peak of summer, on Chilseok which falls on the seventh day of the seventh Lunar month.

[Interview]: In olden days, there were many farmhands who helped toil the fields. They decided to hold the rite on Chilseok so that this could be a day of rest for farmhands and an opportunity for these hard-working people to recharge themselves.

Women of the village gather at the home of the family chosen to host the rite to prepare food offerings.

The village guardian tree is situated at the center of Donggye-ri. Locals say that this ancient zelkova tree, measuring over 5 meters in girth, was planted during the Joseon period, by Prince Hyoryeong-daegun who was then staying in Taeansa Temple nearby.

This great old tree with an estimated age of close to 500 years has long been regarded as a spirit tree that protects the village and answers and grants prayers of its inhabitants.

[Interview]: People have a stronger faith in this living tree than an invisible god. They believe in this tree’s power to grant wishes.

A straw mat is rolled out under the village guardian tree, and a low table that will serve as the altar is placed on top of it.

Food offerings include a boiled pig’s head, steamed rice cake, sundae sausage, pancakes, fruits of three colors and seasonal fruits like watermelon.

The pig’s head is the most important dish presented at the altar. A village guardian god’s rite without a pig’s head would be simply inconceivable. The pig’s head is lavishly decorated with long thin slices of red peppers, omelet and leeks.

The first libation is made by the president of the village hall, who is also the oldest member of the community.

Starting on the third days before the event, the host of the rite has to refrain from going to certain inauspicious places or engaging in certain activities considered impure.

As the person hosting the rite, he is required to maintain the purity of both his mind and body.

At the end of the ceremony, the sacrificial food is consumed by the participants. Any leftover is carefully wrapped in a sheet of mulberry paper and buried under the village guardian tree.

The spirit tree is thus effectively fed.

Due to a long-held belief that food offerings must never be brought back into the village, after a rite, the participants feast on sacrificial food in a pavilion situated next to the village guardian tree.

In addition to sacrificial food, villagers also prepare and bring meals for participants.

The cost of organizing the rite is paid through donations made by those who were bestowed a male child after praying to the village guardian tree or were granted other wishes by the tree.

When the rite is over, the participants enjoy a relaxing game of yut under the shade of the guardian tree.

In Donggye-ri, the village guardian rite has long served as a vehicle for candid prayers for the peace and prosperity of the community. As a tradition deeply rooted in the history of this rural village and as a custom which closely echoes the natural lifestyle of its inhabitants, the rite is likely to continue to serve this function for a long time to come.