From a long time ago, there has been a mask play in Gangneung Dano Festival, which was performed by servants belonging to the government office. The performance was held at Seonangdang dedicated to Daegwanryeong Guksa Seonang, the head god of the Dano Festival. It is not clear when the mask play started but there are records showing that it is related to agricultural ceremonies. Koryosa (918∼1392) records that Wang Sun-sik in Gangneung offered a sacrifice at Daegwanryeong in the age of King Taejo (918~943), the founder of the Koryo Dynasty, and Chugangjin written by Nam Hyo-eun (1454∼1493) in the Chosun Dynasty says that people in Yeongdong Province offered a sacrifice to the god of mountain on a day between April and May, and enjoyed eating, drinking, singing and dancing for four days. Heogyun, who wrote Honggildongjeon, recorded in his collection Daeryeongsansinchanbyeongseo that people held Japhee in May Gyemyo Year (1603) to please gods.