The Gorani
The festival takes its name from the Gorani (the water deer), a rare species found only in Korea and parts of China. This unique, solitary creature embodies a compelling contradiction: with its soft fur and cute appearance, it moves timidly through the tall reeds, but this gentle impression is quickly undone by its sharp, vampire-like tusks and piercing alarm cries. Old legends tell of soldiers trembling with fear in their night camps, mistaking the eerie cries of the Gorani for ghosts. In this spirit, may the sounds of the Gorani Festival today chase away the ghosts of warmongers worldwide.