Overview
The Eunyul Mask Dance Heritage Center was established to preserve and promote the original form of the Eunyul Mask Dance, a precious traditional intangible cultural heritage where the elegance and wisdom of our ancestors blend well. The Eunyul Mask Dance originated in the Eunyul region of Hwanghae Province and was designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in February 1978. The Eunyul Mask Dance was most actively passed down around 1900, but only survived during the Japanese colonial period. After liberation, it resumed its transmission, and Hwanghae Province mask dancers fled south during the Korean War, establishing themselves in South Korea. Afterwards, the transmitters mainly operated in Incheon, and with Incheon's elevation to a metropolitan city, the transmission site was designated as Incheon, which remains the current state. The original form of the Eunyul Talchum is well preserved, so education is conducted to preserve it for future generations. In 1983, a transmission education center of about 150 pyeong was established within Subong Park in Sungui-dong, Michuhol-gu, Incheon, where systematic transmission and training of future generations are being carried out. At the outdoor performance hall set up in the transmission center, free performances are held not only by inviting Eunyul Talchum but also by mask dance practitioners from various regions.