National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Myeoncheon Dugyeonju refers to good-smelling liquor made in Myeoncheon-myeon, Dangjin-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. The name Dugyeon was attached to it, as azalea petals (dugyeonhwa in Korean) are used in making it. A legend links this liquor with Bok Ji-gyeom, who helped Wang Geon (King Taejo) found the Goryeo Dynasty (877-1394). The king came down with a serious illness. The family tried many medications for him to no avail. His young daughter started praying for her father’s recovery at Amisan Mountain. On the 100th day, a mountain deity appeared and told her to make liquor using the full-blown azaleas that grew on Amisan and the water of the Ansaem Well (a well behind present-day Myeoncheon Elementary School), let her father drink it 100 days later, and then plant two gingko trees in the courtyard of her house. She followed the instructions and her father recovered from his illness. The liquor is viscous, light yellowish brown in color, and tastes sweet. The azalea fragrance from it is pleasant and it has no reek of yeast. Its alcohol level is 42 proof. It improves blood circulation, helps recovery from fatigue, and lowers cholesterol level. Stamens and pistils of azalea flower have some toxicity, and thus one should take care not to let them get mixed in the making of the liquor.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Mokjogakjang refers to the skill of wood sculpture or to an artisan with such a skill. Among the woods commonly used for this skill is paulownia, pine, fir, gingko, zelkova and pagoda wood. It is presumed that wood sculpture started on the Korean Peninsula, mostly on temples and Buddha images, with the introduction of Buddhism during the Three Kingdoms Period (circa 57 BC – 668 AD). Many of these wood sculpture works were destroyed during the frequent foreign invasions suffered by Korea. As for the process of wood sculpture production, first a sketch is made on well-dried wood and the remaining parts are cut off. When a rough form is made, the inside is gouged out to prevent cracks or to make a space for inserting ancillary objects according to the custom. Lacquer is applied to the completed object.