2025 Bannam Ancestral Rite – A Living Model of Korean Clan Heritage and Intergenerational Transmission

Feature Report

“In Korean clan heritage, ancestral rites are not remnants of the past; they are an active cultural dialogue across generations.”

In Korea’s clan-based heritage system, ancestral rites serve as cultural mechanisms through which descendants reaffirm lineage, negotiate collective memory, and articulate shared identity.
The 2025 Bannam Ancestral Rite, held on 20 November 2025 in Bannam, Naju, with over 1,200 participants from across the nation, illustrates how Korean clan traditions function as a dynamic intangible-heritage practice—preserving core values while continuously adapting to a modern society.

The rite commemorates Park Eung-ju, the progenitor of the Bannam Park lineage and a regional leader of the late Goryeo period. For the Bannam Park clan, honoring their ancestor is not merely an annual obligation; it is a reaffirmation of communal identity and a renewal of intergenerational continuity.

▶ Ethnographic Insight

Ritual Space, Ritual Grammar, and Transmission Structure

Ritual Space

The ancestral grounds follow traditional geomantic principles, forming a space where nature and architectural form mediate relationships between ancestors and descendants.
In Korean ritual philosophy, space functions as a conduit of memory, virtue, and moral continuity.

Ritual Grammar

This year’s ceremony followed a classical sequence centered on the Three Wine Offerings:

First Wine Offering (Choheon): Park Jin-u, Chief Heir

Second Wine Offering (Aheon): Park Beom-seo, Chief Judge of the Eastern District Court

Final Wine Offering (Jongheon): Park Seung-in, Head of the Jibui-gong Branch

The wine-offering hierarchy reflects a symbolic grammar in which individual ritual actions expand into collective kinship responsibility.

Transmission Structure

Younger descendants served as attendants, wine bearers, and record keepers—learning ritual protocols through embodied participation.
This mirrors Korea’s traditional intergenerational transmission system, where ethical and philosophical values are learned through practice rather than instruction.

▶ Global Contextualization

Distinctive Aspects of Korean Clan Rituals

Community-Based Participation

Compared with the ie lineage system in Japan, Korean clan rites involve multiple branches and generations, emphasizing horizontal kinship participation.

Preservation of Classical Protocols

Where Chinese clan associations often emphasize the scale of gatherings, Korean rituals prioritize precision in ritual texts, etiquette, and ceremonial procedures—maintaining a high degree of classical integrity.

▶ Voices of Heritage Bearers

Park Seung-won, Chief Steward
“The Bannam Rite is our promise to uphold our ancestor’s spirit. Honoring our lineage is a living ethic.”

Park Geun-ryeong, Representative of the Goryeong Park Clan
“The discovery of our ancestor’s stone inscription by the Bannam Clan decades ago created enduring bonds between our clans—gratitude itself became tradition.”

Young Clan Member
“This ritual is not an old custom—it is a living curriculum about who we are.”

Side Feature – 19 November: Night of Harmony and Connection

Eve Festival as a Contemporary Expression of Heritage

Held one day before the ancestral rite, the “Night of Harmony and Connection” demonstrated how Korean clan culture extends beyond solemn rituals to embrace artistic expression, intergenerational exchange, and community celebration.

Over 500 participants joined an evening program featuring:

Traditional music ensembles

Opera and classical vocalists

Fusion and folk-based performances

Awards recognizing contributions to clan culture

A communal feast shared by families and guests

A large campfire ceremony symbolizing unity and continuity

Local residents, students, and civic participants joined the festival, illustrating the expanding cultural function of modern Korean clans as community cultural hubs.

▶ Heritage Reflection

The Bannam Rite raises essential cultural questions:

• Can collective identity endure in an age of individualism?
• Do rituals still explain human belonging in the digital era?
• What ethical narratives can ancestral heritage offer today?

The Bannam example shows that tradition is not a relic—
it is the architecture of future memory.

Publisher’s Note

Arirang Culture Connect seeks to promote the activities of the Bannam Park lineage to a global audience by presenting their news in an international format, while widely sharing the intangible cultural heritage value of Korea’s clan traditions within a broader global context.

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2025 반남대제, 선조의 얼을 잇는 한국 종가문화의 현장

- 전국 1,200여 명 참석… 전통 제례·세대 전승·문화적 가치가 결합된 무형유산 실천

[아리랑 컬처 커넥트I 발행인 박성용]

행사 개요

“한국 종가문화에서 제례는 세대를 잇는 문화적 대화이다.”

2025년 11월 20일, 전남 나주시 반남면에서 열린 2025 반남대제에는 전국 각지에서 1,200여 명이 참석해 전통 제례가 공동체의 뿌리를 되새기고 정체성을 이어가는 살아 있는 문화임을 보여주었다.

시조 호장공 박응주를 기리는 이번 제례는 세대 간 기억을 공유하고 공동체의 정통성을 확인하는 중요한 의례였다.