Village Guardian Post
Jangseung is a wooden or stone figure carved in human form and erected in the entrance of a village, temple or mountain pass to serve as guardian deity. Alternate terms include jangsaeng, beoksu and susalmok, but jangseung is the most common. The practice of erecting these guardian posts goes back to ancient times and many villages held rituals to worship them. While its most important function was to protect the village or temple against diseases, bad fortune, and tiger attacks and to preserve
Korean Folk Beliefs