The picture of the Jeonju (hanbok)

There are some places you always want to come back and visit again. No matter how many times you go, there will always be something new, surprising, and magical. For me, this place is Jeonju Hanok Village. Both for the first and second time I went there, I went with a tour group and completely fell in love with the city! But it always seemed like there was never enough time to do what I wanted to do - see everything, or quietly roam the streets, enjoying the gorgeous traditional architecture. My roommate had never been to a traditional Korean village before, so I wanted to introduce her to the magnificent city of Jeonju. Here, at the heart of the Joseon Dynasty, founded by Yi Seong-gye, you can experience part of Korea’s intriguing history and the city’s unique spiritual atmosphere.

It has also been recognized by UNESCO as a “City of Gastronomy” and is well-known for its long-standing culinary culture. This makes Jeonju a win-win for those who love educational trips through the ages of history and also embark on some gastro-tourism.

We initially planned to go by KTX, which takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes from Seoul. However, much to our dismay, all the KTX tickets were sold out in both directions, even though we were going on a weekday. (Thus, it’s important to reserve tickets at least 5 days in advance if you plan to go by KTX.) Luckily, Korea is well known for its convenient transportation, so we were able to easily change our plans and book bus tickets through the Kobus application (you can also book in English online, or use the Intercity website). There are several bus stations in Seoul and two in Jeonju, so you can pick the bus stations that are convenient for you.

The picture of the lunch (Bibimbap and Galbi)

Since we didn’t want to lose precious time, we took a taxi from Jeonju Express Bus Terminal directly to our hotel, Jeonju Hanok Madang Pension, which took around 10 minutes and cost 5,000 won. Upon arrival, the owners of the local hotel kindly guided us on what to do, eat, and try in the city. Following their recommendations, we went to a nearby restaurant to try the famous Jeonju bibimbap (8,000 won).

As a foreigner, I didn’t believe I would be able to notice any differences between the bibimbap in Seoul and the bibimbap in Jeonju, but I was completely wrong! Calling Jeonju bibimbap delicious is an understatement. Compared to Seoul bibimbap, it uses more ingredients, and even the vegetables taste different. The best part is that they serve it to you in a hot bowl, so it never gets cold while eating. To complete our “king’s meal”, we ate galbi, a grilled mix of pork and beef, with various side dishes (10,000 won).

Jeonjuhyanggyo Confucian School from the inside

Although I had experienced wearing traditional Korean clothes, or hanbok, before, I had always wanted to try wearing it outside and simply walking around on the streets as locals do. One of the highlights of visiting Jeonju on weekdays is that there are not many tourists, so that in addition to having far more options when selecting your Hanbok, you can take better pictures, with no one to interrupt your background.

Donned in the prettiest hanbok we could find, which were almost twice as cheap as in Seoul (only 10,000 for the whole day), we visited the Jeonju Hyanggyo Confucian School, right in front of the hanbok rental store.

This school was originally established in 1354 and rebuilt again in 1603. Interestingly, it is still functioning as an educational center for scholars, so you may also be lucky to see them, as we did. It is also a place of significance for those interested in Korean dramas, since it was a film site for such dramas as “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” and “Love in the Moonlight”.

Jeonju Traditional Culture Training Institute from the inside

Directly behind the school, you can find the Jeonju Traditional Culture Training Institute, which used to be a government office. Here, you can experience traditional Korean culture and the “six skills” - music, archery, horse-riding, calligraphy, arithmetic, and the classics that the scholars learned.

Jeonju Hyanggyo Confucian
School

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The picture of the Omokdae

The sun was slowly setting over the patterned roofs of the traditional houses as we hiked along the stairs to Omokdae in our hanbok. Omokdae is a great spot to see all of the Hanok Village, besides being a place with historical significance. At Omokdae, Yi Song-gye, the founder of the Joseon dynasty, celebrated his victory over the Japanese, and a pavilion was built there in the 19th century. We had originally planned to view the sunset ther e, but we could not stand the wind and it was starting to get cold.

Nevertheless, as they say, when one door closes another opens! On our way down we saw two tall (for Jeonju) and pretty modern buildings – coffee-shops. We decided to visit the first one and check out the second one for a night view after dinner.

The picture of Jeonju

Inside of a coffee-shop (panoramic window)

Now, imagine something that may sound difficult to combine, but is completely adorable: French Provence style mixed with a Korean traditional style. A coffee-shop, which looks modern but traditional and cozy – a place where you can enjoy the sunset and the best view out of the whole Jeonju village with a cup of coffee or tea, both from the terrace outside and through the panoramic window from the inside. It is a must visit!

The view from the coffee-shop (from the balcony)

The picture of the dinner (Kalguksu , Jjolmyeon, Mandu)

After returning our hanbok, we visited a famous restaurant recommended by both our hotel owners and tourist sites. Although the restaurant serves only three dishes - two types of noodles (kalguksu and jjolmyeon) and traditional Korean dumplings (mandu), all of them were very delicious. Even my roommate, who is Chinese and has lived in Korea for a long time, thought the dumplings were very tasty and reminded her of the ones her grandmother makes. Later, as decided, we visited the second coffeeshop to enjoy the night view. There were many different kinds of coffee, but I strongly recommend trying one of the traditional teas. The night view was fantastic, the city flickering with lights. Even the current south Korean president, Moon Jae-In, had visited that cafe and left his autograph, confirming the quality of the place.

Breakfast-lunch (Mulgalbi, Soybean Paste Stew with Blue Crab, side dishes)

The next day started with a missed alarm and thus, a missed breakfast. So we had a late breakfast/early lunch at another recommended restaurant, where they serve fifteen side dishes, mulgalbi soup with ribs, and soybean paste stew with blue crab, for only 12,000 won per person. I definitely gained some weight in Jeonju, but every bit was worth it!

Gangam Calligraphy Museum

On our way back, we stumbled upon the Gangam Calligraphy Museum right beside our hotel. Although the building was newly made, it was perfectly harmonized with the traditional buildings. There were not many people in the museum, and the worker gave us a free tour, explaining over 1,150 works by famous calligraphers. We were familiarized with different styles of hanja, traditional Chinese characters, painted by famous calligraphers from the 18th century. My roommate especially liked this exhibit, as she could understand everything completely and enjoy the poems there.

Calligraphy Museum (exhibition)

As we were walking and enjoying the weather, a bit warmer than Seoul, tourists began to converge on the city, as it was a Friday. It was already time for us to return to Seoul - and upon this thought we were met with rain. Jeonju, I promise I will be back very soon!

Omokdae

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Gangam Calligraphy Museum

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The view of the hotel from the entrance

There is something special about staying in a traditional hanok, or Korean house, if you visit a place filled with history. To introduce my roommate to this beautiful city, I chose a hanok over a modern hotel. I used Expedia.com to book, since I could pay through PayPal.

The view of the hotel from inside

Upon arriving at Jeonju Bus Terminal, we decided to take a taxi to our hotel. For those making the same decision, you should take a silver or white cab, as black cabs are VIP and will be more expensive. The ride took us only 10 minutes and about 5,000 won. After getting out, I couldn’t believe that we were going to stay there! It was like travelling back in time, where we could truly feel and breathe history. I had always wanted to experience sleeping on the floor in a traditional-style house, made of stone and wood, decorated with hanji, traditional Korean paper. My friend was afraid that it might be cold to sleep on the floor in early March, but thanks to the unique traditional Korean floor heating system, ondol, it was very warm and comfortable to stay there.

The hotel is quite small, with only five separate rooms, each with its own bathroom. Because the owners live there as well, it’s also very clean and cozy. They don’t have a front desk, but will greet you warmly and happily, as if you were a part of their family. Although they spoke very little English, they used a voice translator to help communicate with us, giving us a map of popular tourist sites as well as, recommendation on few restaurants where we could try Jeonju bibimbap, a cafe with an amazing view, and the best stores to rent hanbok.

The view of the room

Since the hotel is located right in the Hanok Village, there was no need to use public transportation or a taxi at all. There is a calligraphy museum right in front of the hotel, where you can learn about different styles of Chinese characters. There are also many traditional houses, training institutes and souvenir stores, which you can reach in less than 5 minutes.

If you go to Jeonju, or any other traditional village in Korea, of course, you can always stay in a fancy hotel, but you just CANNOT miss this priceless opportunity to stay in a traditional house. It is not just a place to sleep, it is a place where you can plunge into culture, experience tradition and enjoy this unforgettable experience.