[Onyang, Korea] Discover the uniqueness of Korean masks at the Onyang Folk Museum

#Memories of overseas travel Onyang Folk Museum opened in 1978. Founded by Kim Won-dae, a publisher, the museum systematically displays folk materials that he collected and used in his research. In addition to the indoor exhibition hall, the museum also has wells, stone statues, architecture and other ruins on its park-like outdoor grounds, with an outdoor exhibition hall of about 66,000 square meters and an indoor exhibition hall of about 6,600 square meters. It is said to be the largest folk museum in Korea, with over 20,000 exhibits. The main indoor exhibition hall in the main building has tools and costumes that were actually used in the past, as well as models and photographs, making it a museum that gives a realistic impression of what life was like in the past. In the third exhibition room, you can see various aspects of Korean culture through arts such as crafts and performing arts, faith and academia. ・ What was particularly impressive was the tal (masks) lined up all over the wall. Even today, mask festivals are held all over Korea, praying for health and a good harvest. However, up until the Joseon period, mask festivals were not just for religious purposes, but also expressed social relationships. The stories told were filled with a great opportunity for common people to compare themselves to the ruling class, the yangban, once a year. An educated zombie could become an insulting human being, or a monk could turn into a demon because of the ugliness of his heart. The unique masks are full of the cheerful playfulness of common people. After finishing the tour, I found out that photography is actually prohibited inside the museum. It would be a shame to leave such a wonderful place as a viewing area for small children. I introduced it because I wanted more foreigners who love Korea to know about it. Onyang Folk Museum 온양민속박물관