“Gijisi tug-of war will be displayed not only at the Olympic venues of PyeongChang, Gangneung and Jeongseon but in major cities nationwide, including Seoul, Daejeon and Gwangju, during the international sporting events that will run from Feb. 9-March 18,” the official said. (Image: Dangjin City)
DANGJIN, South Korea, Jan. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – The 500-year-old folk game “Gijisi tug-of-war,” a UNESCO intangible heritage in the South Korean city of Dangjin, will be featured at the country’s upcoming Winter Olympics and Paralympics, a city official said Tuesday.
“Gijisi tug-of war will be displayed not only at the Olympic venues of PyeongChang, Gangneung and Jeongseon but in major cities nationwide, including Seoul, Daejeon and Gwangju, during the international sporting events that will run from Feb. 9-March 18,” the official said.
The Korean tug-of-war game was put on the UNESCO intangible heritage list in 2015 in recognition of its traditional value for agricultural communities as a way to pray for abundant harvests and prosperity.
The communal game takes place every three years, with over 1,800 rope-makers mobilized to make gigantic rice straw ropes for about two months. Ropes are 200 meters long, 1 meter wide and weigh over 40 tons.
“An exclusive booth will be set up to promote the tug-of-war game and its UNESCO certificate at Olympic Park in Gangneung, with demonstrations to be held with the participation of tourists there on Feb. 20,” the official said.
(Yonhap)
