Hahoe Byolshingut Talnori is one of most traditional folk plays handed down at Hahoe-ri, P'ungch'on-myon, Andong-shi, Kyongsangbuk-do. This mask dance drama has been performed for centuries as a village ritual. Until 1928 the shaman ritual had been performed at intervals of three, five or sometimes ten years depending on revelation from the local goddess, or upon local circumstances. The performance began on the lunar New Year's Day and continued at various places around the village until January 15th. The village sacrificial rite was observed at the sonangdang (the village shaman shrine) on the early morning of January 15th.

 The drama is said to have combined shaman rituals and popular entertainment. The village ritual was intended to please the local goddess. The village people prayed for an abundant harvest, and peace and prosperity for the village, and they had a wonderful time while performing the play. The whole village took park in the event and enjoyed the satirical story revealed in the drama. The story criticizes an arrogant aristocrat who brags of his noble birth, a pedantic scholar,and a depraved monk. It was said that if one did not have a chance to watch the mask dance performed during one's life time, one could not go to heaven. Like most other folk mask dance dramas handed down in rural communities across Korea, Hahoe Byolshingut Talnori features various allegorical characters such as Yangban (an aristocrat), Paekchong (a butcher) and so on.   

 Each of these characters represents its social class in the village. Conflicts among the various social classes and individuals were dramatized with humor and satire to help remove grudges among individuals and their families.

 Unlike other mask dances, this one is peculiar in that the movements used in the dance are less artificial and more static, and the costumes of the characters are not rich but simple. In addition, the story of the drama is satirical and humorous, and after the play they burn up the masks.

 The dance is accompanied by nongak, a traditional Korean farmers' bandmusic, Nongak is Korea's most popular, and probably oldest, traditional dance music. Originating in ancient times, it is performed traditionally to celebrate important rural events such as village sacrificial rites, rice planting, harvesting, as well as purely for enjoyment. With the powerful sounds of drums and gongs pouring out in a hypnotic beat, the percussionquartet of nongak is the best-known Korean traditional ensemble.

The instruments used in the music include kkwaenggwari (small gong),ching (a large gong), puk
(a large drum), changgo (a large, long drum).Nowadays the mask dance drama is performed simply as an entertaining playon most occasions, losing much of its original splendor and religious and social significance. The government designated the dance drama as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 69 in 1980 for its preservation and transmission to future generations. The Society for the Preservation of Hahoe Byolshingut Talnori revived and exclusively presents the mask dance drama, and does its best to preserve the drama, to promote Korean culture and to introduce one of Korea's greatest intangible treasures to the rest of the world.