Gangneung Danoje

Gangneung Danoje (Korean: 강릉 단오제; Hanja: 江陵端午祭), called by locals Danogut (단오굿), is a yearly celebration of the Korean holiday Dano, in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, South Korea. The festival is traditionally held for 47 days: in the lunisolar Korean calendar, between the 20th day of the 3rd month to the 7th day of the 5th month. Its purpose is to appease the local gods, and in turn to receive their blessings.

The festival's origins are unclear; it is at least 400 years old, and possibly has its origins in rituals over 1000 years old. The tradition was repressed in the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period and nearly disappeared amidst cultural assimilation efforts. Beginning in the 1950s, efforts were made to research and recreate the festival in its original form.

It is now the biggest event in Gangneung. Since 1967, it has been a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of South Korea, and since 2005 it has been on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.