My nephew’s wife (would that be my niece-in-law?) is a lovely Korean girl. So I guess it was just a matter of time that there was a family vacation to Korea to get to know the culture better and that is what we did last September.
We did make a trip to Gangnam to witness the Gangnam Style made famous by Psy ( the ladies wanted to do some shopping) but for me, it was just a cityscape like you could find almost anywhere in the world and filled with overpriced designer goods. So the real Gangnam like the Gangnam Style video just left me cold.
Instead, the highlight of the trip for me was our visit to Andong Hahoe Village. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a snapshot of Korean life that has remained relatively unchanged since the Joseon Dynasty at around the 16th Century.
Hahoe Village is beautifully located within a bend of the tranquil Nakdong River with beautiful sandy beaches and the imposing Buyongdae Cliff on the opposite bank. It’s name actually means “Village that is enveloped by water”.
Its buildings represent the architecture of the 16th Century and the Confucianism philosophy ascendent at that time. Indeed the village was suppose to be an incubator of intellectuals and court officials of the Joseon Dynasty.
However, what really makes this special is that the place (unlike many) has not been put on for tourists – it is still very much a real, working, living village with the villagers still living a mostly traditional life. A real time capsule with insight to the Korean psyche.
The villagers still work the land. Paddy fields, vegetable gardens, and orchards are found both in and around the village. Traditional crafts like mask making are still practiced and traditional costumes are still worn especially at weekends.
I loved the place. Hope you will enjoy the photos (all photos by LGS).
Oh, and the beef bbq Korean style in Andong is mucho delicious. A must try.
Realm of the Lone Grey Squirrel 
This was really REALLY a great post. I enjoyed the pictures and information tremendously – thank you!
I keep thinking I should go to Thailand to visit my daughter in laws village…something about passports and 30 hour plane rides makes me think i would rather her father and brother come visit us here.
Terry,
Thanks very much. I always enjoy your posts on Iceland too. I doubt if I would ever have the opportunity to go there as much as I would love it.
Mark,
Break up the 30 hour journey by making stops along the way. You could even stop over in Malaysia and visit with me as long as you leave your squirrel guns at home.
Wow, thank you for the slides! What a beautiful place. I bet that was an amazing trip. But I’ll pass on the beef 😉
Riot Kitty,
I enjoyed the trip more than I expected. I like meat but even I was grateful for the rare vegetarian offering.
Now there’s an idea…no sweat I only have 12 gauge riot guns and they do too much damage to a squirrel. I trap my nice fat little stew meat. hahahahah
Thanks for the tip…we’ll put it on our itinerary!
Wow, just looked this up and its 3 hours + from Seoul. Did you take the train there?
We went with a private tour group and they arranged for us to spend the night in a traditional hanok. It was like being in the 17th century and not everyone in my party appreciated the lack of facilities. But I enjoyed it very much.
lol. yep it must had been 17th century bathroom facilities too! We understand. Did the same in northwest China for the silk road and it was the same.