Bangsatap (Jeju)

Bangsatap is a religious object built to block the entry of negativity and evil, ensuring the peace of the village. It is a stone tower erected communally in a village where ominous signs appear in a certain direction or where the energy of a terrain is weak. In Sinheung-ri, Jocheon-eup, Jeju Island, there are two Bangsataps: one near the breakwater of the port and one on the northwest coast. Among them, the tower at the southern port near the breakwater (Sinheung-ri No. 1 Tower) is called [Keun-gae-tap], meaning 'tower at the big creek,' and also [Saeng-i-tap] because birds fly into its hollow top to hatch their chicks.

Additionally, the tower located on the northwest coast at [Saebaek-gae] (Sinheung-ri No. 2 Tower) is called [Odari-tap] because it stands at Odari Koji, or [Yang-tap] in contrast to [Keun-gae-tap] (Sinheung-ri No. 1 Tower), due to the sheep-like stone statue placed on its top.