Korean Folk Village goes VIRTUAL (한국민속촌)

Recently I participated in an online Korean Folk Village Virtual Tour, as I have not been here before I thought this is a good initiative by the Malaysia KTO team. Kudos to them.

A lot can be learnt about Korea from this place and I was amazed on how detail and information this place it, I guess once the world is able to travel I shall make a one month trip to Korea and visit all these places. But before that happens, let me share with you what I’ve learnt during this virtual tour of mine.

Located in Gyeonggi-do, Korean Folk Village was opened in 1974 to introduce the late Joseon period traditional culture via their lifestyle, custom, culture and heritage. It is taken from the 270 real houses from different parts of the country, restored from the Joseon dynasty to simulate a village during that particular period. There are also performance such as nongak (folk/farmer’s music), martial arts on horseback, traditional wedding ceremony and etc. Aside, they are also seasonal showcases depending on the month you visit, and I was told that "Welcome to Joseon’ is celebrated in May where you will get to experience ‘living’ in the Joseon dynasty. So do plan your trip well.

This 245 acres of land that houses the traditional houses is set with vast greenery of mountains as its backdrop and a tranquil river running through it. It is no surprise that this place is also the set for a few popular kdrama ie. My Love from the Star, Moon Embracing the Sun, The Great Queen Seondeok and many more. It is definitely a perfect place to reenacting a typical daily life during Joseon era.

This is the interesting part, you can actually rent a full set hanbok dress/attire when visiting this place so that you can take lovely photos. They also have hanbok for kids, so that you can take family photos, cute huh!

There is also a unique pile of rocks with hundreds of tiny pieces of paper tied around it. Apparently it is a wishing note rock. And that what you write/wish will come true. 

We were also shown the olden days’ toilet where the poo-poo with be taken out and dumped somewhere further from the village houses. Pretty much like the olden days in Malaysia too I guess, according to my mom that is.

Large pots (Malay calls them tempayan) for fermentation can easily be seen in the villages back in those days, I believe these are for kimchi making.

Oh! One thing I was in awe is when the tour guide showed a pharmacy house/shop and a garden in front of it, he later asked whether do we know why is there a garden in front of the pharmacy. The explanation surprises me – it is actually an herb garden for the pharmacist to grab his herb for potion making. Ahhh…. At first from his video, I actually thought it was a small grape garden. Silly me!

If you visit the place after the pandemic, you can also see the type of house – the farmers and nobleman. The contrast can be seen in terms of architecture and material being used, and of course the size as well.

During the vistual tour, we were shown old outdoor games played by kids those days such as yutnori. A game I might wanna try when I visit this place.

Oh! This is fascinating…. THE ONDOL/GUDEUL (baked stones).
The guide explained the amazing room heating technology back then. I will try to explain it in the best way I can. Stones are arranged under the ondol room during the construction of a traditional house where the stones are "heated or baked" to heat the floor from a fireplace. 

Photo credit : Wikipedia

The heat or hot smoke will pass through under the rooms thuse increasing the temperature of the floor, the smoke will then escape through the chimney at the end. Hence you will see the houses’ chimney is located on the ground outside unlike the western home. Impressive right.

#TravelTips

• Have a picnic here as outside drinks and foods are allowed
• Bring water, lotsa of walking hence you’ll get pretty thirsty
• There stalls, cafes and eateries available here but not halal though
• Audio guides are also available in 4 languages - English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean also for rent.
• Reservation is required is you wish to have a physical guide (please state your preferred language)
• Wheelchair-friendly.
• Oh yah! Wheelchair and stroller rentals are available.
• Prayer rooms is not available here but you can go to the nearby tourism centre and use their place for prayer.

Korean Folk Village
90 Minsokchon-ro, Giheung-gu
Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do
South Korea
Tel : +82-31-288-0000
URL : www.koreanfolk.co.kr

Operating Hours
10:00-18:00

Entrance Fee
Adult : ₩22,000
Teenagers : ₩19,000
Children : ₩17,000

Interpretation Services*
Language : English, Japanese, Chinese
*Advance reservations are required for guided tour

Audio Guide*
Language : Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese
*Submit your own identification card, you can rent it. ₩2,000 rental fee
*Rental can be done at information desk in Market Village, Korean Folk Village

How to get to Korean Folk Village : (https://www.koreatodo.com/korean-folk-village)
- Stop at Gangnam Station (line 2/Sinbundang, exit 5). Upon exit, U-turn and cross the road just behind the station exit to the bus stop at the middle of the road.
- Take bus #5001-1. It’ll cost ₩2,500 per/pax for a 1 hour journey.
- Upon alighting from the bus, cross the road to the big car park in front and walk towards Korean Folk Village entrance on your right. It is a 5 mins walk.
Departure from Korean Folk Village :
- Take the same bus #5001-1 across the road from where you alight earlier. (i.e. departing bus stop is on the same side as Korean Folk Village, no road crossing required).
- Both bus stops from Gangnam Station exit 5 or 10 are the same bus stops going to Everland on bus #5002.