Photo: Chiam Gotaek (House of Chiam)
Andong in Gyeongsangbuk-do is said to be the
representative city comprehending the olden charm and unique traditions
of Korea, with well preserved cultural heritages. For this reason, the
city attracts thousands of tourists every year, looking to learn and
experience what life was like back in the days.
Visitors to Andong may feel the sense of
tranquility as soon as they enter the city. In addition, Queen Elizabeth
and former U.S. President George Bush, who both visited in 1999 and
2005 respectively, had highly complemented Andong’s aesthetics of
slowness.
On that note, lots of the traditional houses or hanok
in Korean, have been well preserved to its original state. These
buildings offer you a great opportunity for hanok stay, allowing
visitors to experience the Korean’s traditional way of living. Read on
to learn more about Andong and its source of pride, hanoks!
Hanok Stay
A hanok house is a traditional residence
that is built specifically to fit in with the nature around it. In
order to maintain the delicate natural environment, an extraordinary
amount of effort goes into building these traditional abodes only with
natural, environmentally-friendly materials.
With the modernization of Korea and introduction of
Western architectures, hanok houses are less seen in commonplace.
However, there has been a resurgence of hanok-style businesses such as
Hanok Stay guesthouses, which let guests experience what life was like
in these residences.
If you’re having a hard time deciding which Hanok
Stay would be best for you, check out the Korea Tourism Organization’s
list of certified Hanok Stay businesses. This list of carefully selected
accommodations includes places that are either designated culture
heritages, or households which have been managed directly by the
generations of first daughter-in-laws in the family with over 100 years
of history.
The majority of these places doesn’t use Western beds, but rather spread
comfortable bedding blankets (‘ibul’ in Korean) on the floor to sleep
on. The large rooms are spacious and there are lots of corners great for
exploring. Also, the residences are full of traditional activities and
delicious foods for guests to partake in.
In the city of Andong, which is known for
preserving Korea’s traditional roots, are roughly twenty Hanok Stay
residences on the KTO’s aforementioned list. Therefore, Andong comes
highly recommended if you’re looking at trying out a Hanok Stay
experience, since it can offer a more thorough and authentic traditional
Korean experience. Click here for more information about doing a Hanok Stay.
Andong Hahoe Folk Village [UNESCO World Heritage]
The neighborhood of Andong Hahoe Folk Village,
which is entirely composed of traditional Korean houses, will make you
feel like you’re stepping back in time, and thus has become one of the
most famous folk villages in Korea. What makes this place special is
that it’s not actually a tourist attraction, in the sense that a museum
is. Residents of this neighborhood still live and maintain the same
lifestyle as their ancestors did decades ago before the modernization of
the 20th century.
You can get an authentic feel of what life was like just by walking
through the neighborhood and seeing outdoor facilities like seesaws or
traditional swing sets. The local performance hall also features the Hahoe Mask Dance Drama Performance (Hahoe Byeolsingut Exorcism), where visitors can witness Korea’s unique mask performance for free.
- ☞ Address: 40 Jongga-gil, Pungcheon-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do 40
- ☞ Website: www.hahoe.or.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, French)
- ☞ Directions: Take Bus No.46 from bus stop across from Andong Station.
Get off at Mask Dance Training Center (탈놀이전수관앞) Bus Stop. - ☞ Hours: Summer 09:00-18:00 / Winter 09:00-17:00
- ☞ Admission: 3,000 won
Hahoe Mask Museum
At the Hahoe Mask Museum, visitors can see the
masks of Hahoe, Korea’s oldest wooden masks, which are organized into
their separate styles and forms. These masks were passed down from
Hahoe Folk Village and are used in mask dances for the village ritual of
Byeolsingut. And of course, as a mask museum, you can not
only learn about Korea’s mask traditions, but that of other parts of
Asia, Europe and Africa. After taking in and learning about this rich
Korean tradition, stop by the stamp booth and receive a stamp as a
special souvenir.
- ☞ Address: 206, Jeonseo-ro, Pungcheon-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- ☞ Website: www.mask.kr (Korean, English)
- ☞ Directions: Take Bus No.46 upon exiting from Andong Station.
Get off at Tollgate (검표소) Bus Stop. - ☞ Hours: 09:30-18:00 (Weekdays) / 09:30-19:00 (Weekends)
- ☞ Admission: 2,000 won
Andong Folk Museum
If you’ve ever been curious about how Koreans
lived in the past, stop by Andong Folk Museum. This museum shows the
average lifestyle of Koreans through a variety of everyday household
items from long ago. Recreations of traditional ceremonies, including
weddings and funerals, as well as seodang, the traditional
educational institute where children learned and grew, provide a fun
and easy way for visitors to understand the life of Korean commoners in
the past. In addition, the second floor exhibition room features a free
hanbok experience, where guests can take commemorative photos while wearing hanbok.
- ☞ Address: 13, Minsokchon-gil, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- ☞ Website: www.adfm.or.kr (Korean, English)
- ☞ Directions: Take Bus No.3 upon exiting from Andong Station.
Get off at Andong Folk Museum (박물관) Bus Stop. - ☞ Hours: 09:00-18:00 (open all year round)
- ☞ Admission: 1,000 won
Dosanseowon Confucian Academy
Visitors to Dosanseowon Confucian Academy can
learn about the education environment for classical scholars.
Dosanseowon was a school founded by Yi Hwang, a scholar of Confucianism
during the Joseon Dynasty, who is also featured on the 1,000 won bill.
The buildings, which have remained unmarred by the
passage of time, are nestled between the mountains and river, and
provide a great opportunity to appreciate the harmony of nature and
traditional Korean architecture. The academy grounds are large and
perfect for taking a stroll. Resting at a bench looking out over
Andongho Lake in the distance, one’s mind will automatically begin to
clear and become calm.
- ☞ Address: 680, Togye-ri, Dosan-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- ☞ Website: www.dosanseowon.com (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
- ☞ Directions: Take Bus No.67 at Kyobo Life Insurance (교보생명) Bus Stop.
Get off at Dosanseowon (도산서원) Bus Stop. - ☞ Hours: Summer 09:00-18:00 / Winter 09:00-17:00
- ☞ Admission: 1,500 won
Ontrepieum
Ontrepieum is a theme park with a large tropical
greenhouse located at Andong Culture & Tourism Complex. The
greenhouse features over 250 types of exotic plants, including more than
100 species of foliage plants, succulent plants, and herbs. The large
variety allows visitors to enjoy plants from desert, temperate, and
Mediterranean zones all in one place.
Walking through the outdoor garden will feel like walking through a
fairytale, with the pretty surroundings and cute sculptures. Ontrepieum
is the perfect place to take a break from a tour of Korea’s traditional
culture in Andong.
- ☞ Address: 346-95, Gwangwangdanji-ro, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- ☞ Website: www.ontrepieum.co.kr (Korean only)
- ☞ Directions: Take Bus no.3 and get off at Culture and Tourism Complex∙Ontrepieum Bus Stop.
- ☞ Hours: 10:00-18:00 (Closed on Mondays, times are subject to change
depending on weather and other unexpected conditions.) - ☞ Admission: 2,000 won
Woryeonggyo Bridge
The most beautiful place to take in Andong’s night
view is definitely Woryeonggyo Bridge. The bridge is Korea’s longest
wooden footbridge, and holds the love story of a couple from the area.
The bridge was built to commemorate the longing a widow had for her
husband after he passed away, and show that their love would be
never-ending. The soft lights reflecting on the river surface and the
story of the bridge’s origin make this place a very romantic spot to
visit at night.
- ☞ Address: Sanga-dong & Seonggok-dong, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- ☞ Directions: Take Bus No. 3 and get off at Woryeonggyo Bridge Bus Stop.
Andong Jjim-dak Alley
There is one popular dish that everyone visiting
the city of Andong is guaranteed to taste! Andong Jjim-dak, a seasoned
and simmered chicken, is combination of sweet and mild flavor of
sensation with plump meat, potatoes and glass noodles in all good
balance. The best part of this delicious dish is probably the sauce,
where you can mix it with rice and enjoy the dish to the very last bit.
In order to experience this Andong’s ingenuity, visit Jjim-dak Golmok,
the food alley located inside of Andong Traditional Market. The alley
is specifically known to be packed with jjim-dak specialty stores and
most of them will offer a good hearty meal at a similar price range.
- ☞ Address: 184-4, Seobu-dong, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- ☞ Directions: Cross the road after exting from Andong Station.
Go straight until to make a right turn at Daeanno (대안로).
Make a cross to the opposite directions.
Walk straight to arriave at Andong Traditional Market (안동구시장). - ☞ Menu: Andong Jjim-dak (1 chicken serves 3~5 people) / 25,000-38,000 won
Andong Gangodeungeo
Due to its geological location, Andong is far
from seaside and thus lacks sources of seafood products. Consequently,
the ingredients had to be preserved, mainly being salted to prevent
fish from going bad. Ironically, godeungeo (mackerels in
Korean) became seasoned just right and matured during the journey to
Andong. People began to look forward to the tasty salted mackerels when
they arrived at the Andong Market.
This practice has continued until this day, making another famous local specialty, Andong Gangodeungeo (salted
grilled mackerel). This dish taste just great by itself and therefore
ideal when eaten with bowl of hot rice. The fish is often times grilled
or steamed in hot pepper paste sauce, which has now become one of the
desired dishes loved by all.
More Info
- ☞ Transportation (Seoul → Andong)
- Train: Take Mugunghwa Train from Cheongnyangni Station bound for Andong Station.
- -Fare: Adults 15,500 won (for regular seats)
- -Total travel time: approx. 3 hrs 20 min
- -Website: Korail www.letskorail.com (English, Japanese, Chinese)
- Bus: From Central City Terminal, take an express bus leaving to Andong Bus Terminal
- -Fare: Adults 16,500 won
- -Total travel time: approx. 3 hrs
- Train: Take Mugunghwa Train from Cheongnyangni Station bound for Andong Station.
- ☞ Website: Andong Tourism www.tourandong.com (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
- ☞ 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
* This column was last updated in July 2015, and
therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We advise
you to check details from the official websites before visiting.
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