Omokdae Pavilion

It's my fourth visit to Jeonju and you might be questioning if there's something left to discover. Unlike Gyeongju, my love affair with Jeonju is a turbulent one. I'm awed by places with a rich history and Jeonju definitely is such a place. Jeonju's beautiful hanok village has become too popular and thus very much commercialized. So when you visit, you need to try to see its beauty beyond the main commercial streets, all the street food and touristy goods vendors. I did that during my previous visit and wasn't disappointed.

This time I came even more prepared and ready to explore Jeonju's incredibly rich history and traditions.

On the way up to Omokdae

I always try to arrive before everyone else so I can enjoy the busiest and most popular places without the crowds. Early morning is the best time to walk around the hanok village. There are so many coffee shops with great streets or back yard views. So, I rushed to leave my luggage at my beautiful hanok style accommodation and went early to explore.

After having aromatic coffee in a totally empty hanok style coffee shop, my first stop is Omokdae Pavilion. Set on a hill right at the hanok village, going up to the pavilion is a pleasant hike. It's the best time of Fall and the red and yellow patterns of the trees make the experience magical.

Up the hill, I can see the golden rays of the fall sun piercing the trees and casting gentle light on Omokdae Pavilion. This is where Yi Seong-gye (known as King Taejo, the first king of the Joseon Dynasty) celebrated his victory over the Japanese invaders whom he fought at Unbong Peak of Hwangsan Mountain. It's quite a remarkable place as it's directly connected with the birth of what's now known as the Joseon Dynasty.

Tip: Take off your shoes and enjoy your time at the pavilion. At one of the sides, you will find the inscription of Daepungga, a song king Taejo sang later to found Joseon.

Omokdae Pavilion

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View Towards Jaman Mural Village

Mural Painting at Jaman Mural Village

Coffee shop at Jaman Mural Village

Colorful Coffee Shop at Jaman Mural Village

Beautiful Sunset at Jaman Mural Village

The next stop of my day exploring is Jaman Mural Village. It's super easy to reach from Omokdae as its conveniently connected via the main road overpass.

Jaman Mural Village is an exciting place to be if you fancy colorful wall paintings and coffee. I did spend some time walking around the hilly tiny streets of the village until I found a fairytale coffee shop. Perfect for taking lots of selfies and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. There are so many colorful and nice areas at this coffee shop, so it was hard to choose where to sit. I moved a couple of times for the best views ;-)

Sunset over Jeonju Hanok Village

The day is almost over and there's much more to discover, but I decided to get to my beautiful hanok stay accommodation and rest.

Jaman Mural Village

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Gyodong Gaon Façade

Main Entrance

Entrance Sign

Gyodong Gaon was my first choice for my stay in Jeonju. I loved the idea to stay in a hanok style house that was recently built and offers a high level of comfort. Another reason to choose this accommodation is its location. From the beautifully decorated wooden windows of the tea room at the hanok stay, I can see one of the places I intended to visit - the hill of Omokdae Pavilion.

Room View from Loft Level

Sleeping Arrangement

Bathroom

Gyodong Gaon is a modern rendition of the classical hanok - Korean traditional house. Even after adding modern commodities like an in-room bathroom, air-conditioning and gas-powered floor heating, the accommodation stays true to the hanok tradition.

My room was a good size for a hanok stay and offered everything a visitor would expect from this class of accommodation. For newcomers to Korea, sleeping on the floor on not so thick mats can be challenging. You get used to it after you try several times. Most modern hanok stays as Gyodong Goan offers quite comfortable mats so even westerners will feel comfortable.

Gyodong Gaon’s Tea Room with View to the Park

What I loved the most about Gyodong Gaon was the fact there was a tea room with amazing views of the madang (an inner yard of hanok houses) that turned into bright Fall colors. I totally ignored the fact I have TV and internet in my room. All I wanted to do in the remaining hours until sunset was rest over a cup of tea and stare through the wooden windows.