A small stream at Woomyeong-ri village

​As a student of filmmaking and someone very fond of Korean movies, film and drama locations always fascinated me. Sometimes just a street in a distant district of Seoul or an unknow café could attract me, and the city of Hamyang was no different.

After watching the TVN drama “Mr. Sunshine”, I really got curious to visit this city, to see what’s really real, and what was created by the magic and tricks of filmmaking.

​​To get to Hamyang there are ten buses from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal. The timetable ranges from 7AM to 9PM, with a price of 18,000 won. Of course, I choose to go as early as possible, to have much more time to explore the city of Hamyang.

The bus travel surprisingly took 3 hours, the bus was not even close to being full. Most of the people were the usual Koreans with their hiking clothes, probably aiming to climb Jirisan Mountain. The mountain that from the moment you set a foot out from the bus terminal you can see, like a giant entity sleeping, waiting for the best moment to wake up, bringing to us a stunning view in the landscape.

Front entrance of “The Old House of Jeong Clan in Woomyeong-ri ”

My first stop was the hanok house called “The Old House of Jeong Clan in Umyeong-ri”, an pompous name for a traditional Korean house, but not in vain. The house was built during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897), more precisely during the reign of King Gyeongjong (1720-1724), and was the house of an important scholar from that period. The owner of the house offered to pick me up directly at the bus station, and it was very helpful for me (the cost of the taxi to the house costs around 10,000 won). There are buses, but they pass each 30 minutes, and more fewer times during the weekends.

During the ride to his house, he told me the meaning of the village name where the house is located. The village is called “Umyeong"(우명) that means where the oxen moo. According to the Korean feng shui, the village looks like an ox regurgitating in a comfortable crouching position. He also said that for farmers in the old days the ox was a symbol of prosperity and peace.

Arriving at the house I could feel the real Korean countryside, very peaceful and restful, very different from the bustling Seoul.

A tunnel formed by bamboos at the bamboo forest

I met his family and they prepared a delicious traditional Korean meal, consisting of “kimchi jjigae” (a stew with kimchi, vegetables and meat), “japchae” (a kind of Korean noodle dish made with marinated beef and vegetables), “bulgogi” (a grilled Korean dish) and “pajeon” (scallion fried with vegetables or seafood). It was such an honor to be welcomed with such diversity of food. It was very delicious, and everything tasted very fresh.

When they showed the room were I would spent the night I got really surprise by its beatitude, from the little table made of wood, to the wall paper with traditional poems written by hand, I felt that the family were treating me like an honorable Joseon scholar. Everything had its place just like it was for 300 years, and it is fascinating.

The bamboo forest

​Right behind the main house they have an old shrine were they make the annual prayers and offerings to their ancestor. Beside that there is a huge bamboo forest that looked very cinematographic; it’s such a shame that no movie or drama was shot at this house.

​The owner proposed to guide me around the city. I accepted and he took me to “Ildu Historic House in Hamyang” (함양일두고택), the shooting location of the drama “Mr. Sunshine”.

Signboard at “Gaepyeong Village”

The house is located in the heart of Hamyang, in a hanok village called “Gaepyeong Village”(개평마을). This village was home to various prominent scholars during the Joseon dynasty.

​Walking in the location where they shot “Mr. Sunshine” was a unique experience, and it’s fantastic to recognize some of the streets were they shot some of the scenes. The same trees, walls, all the details were there, and the biggest surprise was the “Ildu Historic House in Hamyang” (함양일두고택), house of Go Ae-shin, played by Kim Tae-ri. The house was very well preserved, and looked exactly like in the series, every little detail. It was fascinating to walk through the house, enter in each division of the house, the part designated to the men, the part designated to the women, the area designated to the servants; each has it specific location and symbolism. The men’s part of the house is right in the front open to face any visitors. The women’s part is in the backyard, like hidden from the curious eyes. The servants were also hidden but smaller.

Street

Main part

Details of main part

Inside Go Ae-shin's room

I could enter Go Ae-shin’s room. It’s a total new experience to enter the real location. I could feel the smell of fresh wood that perpetuated the room over the years, see some of the objects that appeared during the drama, like the books, drawers, even tables, everything was there like in the drama.

The Old House of Ildu in Hamyang

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Sangnim Park during late autumn

After the visit to the “Mr. Sunshine” shooting location, we went to Sangnim Park (상림공원) that is located in the center of the city of Hamyang. This park was created during the reign of Queen Jinseong (887-897) of Silla.

Walking there brought a glimpse of the essence of the Silla Kingdom. It was really relaxing to stroll there. The weather was cool, and the red-tinged leaves from the trees gave a very beautiful view of the park. I wish I could come back during the spring to appreciate the cherry blossoms. One of the highlights of the park is a unique tree formation, two totally different trees that grow from the same root. They call it “Tree of Love”(사랑나무). It’s said that lovers that want to their relationship to last forever must visit this tree.

Sangnim Park during late autumn

Trees of Love at Sangnim Park

Signboard of Trees of Love at Sangnim Park

​Later we went to a special place according to the owner, one of the most beautiful spots to have a sight of Jirisan Mountain, called “Jirisan View Park” (지리산조망공원).

Signboard of Jirisan View Park

View of Jirisan during sunset

Going up there by car takes around 40 minutes from the center of the city. The road is very winding, so if you come though this road be extra careful. We arrived to the “View Park”, and the sight was like in a movie. We could see all the autumn trees in a colorful mosaic; we could also see the highest point of Jirisan Mountain, and all its beauty. In this park there is a convenience store, so if you want to find something to eat, it’s highly recommended to eat there. Because of the nature of the mountain there are not a lot of restaurants around.

​Hamyang is an unique city, with its natural and ancestral beauty. It really gave me a good impression. It was a great experience to make all these discoveries, see all this prettiness that hides not so far away from the bustling Seoul, just by a 3-hour bus ride.

I hope more and more movie productions come to the city, and make more and more people interested in visiting this hidden jewel of Korea.

Sangnim Park

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