1 Andong Hahoe Mask Village
This historic village, four hours' drive southeast of Seoul in North Gyeongsang province, sits on the horseshoe bend of the Nakdong River in Pungcheon-myeon and contains ancient buildings that date from the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392). The village is home to the Ryu clan, its members having played key roles in politics, defence and scholarly pursuits throughout history. In the Yeongmogak building are artefacts and war memoirs of historical significance, such as political leader Ryu Seong-ryong's handwritten description of the 16th-century Japanese invasion. Today, many Ryu descendants live in original ancestral homes and offer traditional home-stays for visitors. A trip across the river followed by a climb to the top of a hill overlooking the village provides a panoramic view. At the foot of that hill is a deserted temple South Korean filmmakers often use as a movie set. Although most Korean villages are arranged with houses facing south, this village is unique in its design, with upper-class housing in the centre protected by lower-class houses facing in each of the four main directions.
2 Jirye Artists' Colony
Don't be surprised by the expensive new Mercedes-Benz parked next to the gleaming look-alike Ssangyong in the car park. This is one of the few places in South Korea where wealthy city dwellers are lured by the fascination of experiencing a slice of old Korea. The atmosphere is surreal. It's a traditional rural village straight out of an old Korean movie in a forest setting. Experience the appeal of the old ways within an authentic environment - that is, as traditional as you can get without sacrificing some essential modern comforts such as a solar-heated shower and internet access. However, you'll experience sleeping on a heated floor in a genuine 350-year-old traditional Korean wooden house. The village was born out of the determination of poet Kim Won-gil. When the construction of a dam threatened to submerge his family village at its original location by the banks of the Yesu River, Kim (then a professor at Andong University) undertook to move the entire village to its current location higher up the mountain. Built in 1663, all the traditional wooden houses were dismantled, moved and reassembled in their current positions nestled on the mountain overlooking the dam. For those who like trekking, there are two walking trails: one takes you on a 20-minute journey around the colony; the other is a more ambitious four-hour hike deep into the pine forest (
www.jirye.com).
3 Andong Folk Museum
Andong's Confucian influence is well documented at the Andong Folk Museum, which is the perfect place to learn about the history and customs of the area. Ceremonies such as weddings, funerals and ancestral celebrations are exhibited in life-sized displays. Throughout the museum there are also displays of unusual folk games, as well as historical exhibits that depict life as it once was (
www.tour2korea.com).
