At first glance, these items may not seem to have much in common, but they play an important role in Korean religious culture: the sun, the moon, clouds, water, mountains, pine trees (or bamboo), an ancient medicinal mushroom, tortoise, deer and cranes.

These are 10 items that represent immortality, called Shib-Jhang-Saeng.

Shib means "10," jhang means "long," and saeng means "life."

The attraction of longevity and immortality courted ancient Koreans, and these items have influenced our ancestors' religious and artistic life styles for thousands of years.

They engraved, painted, embroidered and decorated these 10 objects on buildings, furniture, stationary, beddings, clothing, and household products wishing for health and tranquility.

Each one holds a distinctive meaning, and each has a place in the system of living souls of plants, animals and natural things.

The sun powers creation for the fundamental elements of life, while the moon balances and harmonizes the power of the sun. Clouds constantly change into diverse shapes. Water symbolizes creation, the flow of life and the purification of sins. Mountains are silent while defending their surroundings against time and tide.

Pine trees and bamboo have been admired for being evergreen. The tortoise, crane and deer have long life expectancies and represent good health. Last but not least is the ancient medicinal mushroom, the Reishi Mushroom. It has been taken for thousands of years as a remedy for many kinds of illnesses.

Korean religious culture was adopted from foreign religions such as Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Dating back thousands of years, it changed remarkably before finally becoming the norm for many Koreans.

Taoism, one of the culture's main sources, teaches people that they should adapt to and accommodate nature in order to be part of it and avoid natural disasters. It allowed quite a bit of freedom for children and women who were socially disadvantaged.

Through the cultural and ancient artifacts of Shib-Jhang-Saeng, we can steal a glance at our forefathers' beliefs. Yearning for longevity has been common for generations, and Shib-Jhang-Saeng is strong evidence of that.