JEJU, Oct. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – The 2023 Jeju Stone Festival, titled ’2023 Munsudong, Dol Japari,’ will take place in Munsudong, Dongmyeong-ri, over two days on October 14 and 15. Renowned stonemasons from Italy, the U.K., and Japan will participate in the festival. ‘Dol’ is a Korean word meaning ‘stone,’ and ‘japari’ is a Jeju dialect word meaning ‘play.’
Munsudong is a village where seven strong and skillful ‘dolchaengi’ lived in the past. Currently, approximately 30 households reside in Munsudong, a village once referred to as a ‘dolchaengi village.’ ‘Dolchaengi’ is a Jeju dialect term referring to a technician specialized in working with stones.
The festival is hosted by the Dongmyeong-ri Village Community in Hallim-eup, Jeju, and organized by Dolbitna Art School. The main programs include the restoration of bibodap, a traditional stone tower built to protect the village from evil spirits, the construction and repair of stone walls along the village road, a photo exhibition featuring seven ‘dolchaengi,’ the creation of songi stone pots, and the sculpting of letters.
Cho Hwan-jin, the principal of Dolbitna Art School, stated, “We have invited renowned stonemasons from Italy, the U.K., and Japan who are actively preserving stone wall culture in their respective countries. We organized this festival to illuminate the lives of Jeju dolchaengi and promote the island’s stone culture.”
Image credit: Dolbitna Art School / photonews@koreabizwire.com
