Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” It’s time to tell you about our recent journey that we had been dreaming of  for a while. Finally, the day had come. We zipped our backpacks up, hopped in the car and steered full steam ahead. The grey strings of the highway lanes led us though the mountains to the east of the country, to Andong city, which is about a  3 - hour  drive from Seoul.

Andong is the millennium-old cradle of Korean culture and folk traditions, the heart of Joseon era rural life, and the birthplace of Confucianism, wooden masks and soju, and has been the capital of Gyeongsangbuk-do, also known as Gyeongbuk ,  since 2016 . This central city of Korean spiritual culture surpassed all our expectations, from its vast ancient heritage to its hospitable hanok heirs and restaurant owners.

Hahoe Village from a distance

Andong is especially famous for the historical Hahoe Village, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which we also set as the starting point of our exploration. Even though it is a bit far from the downtown area (around 50 minutes by bus No. 46, from Andong Intercity Bus Terminal to Hahoe Village), we could not skip this Andong gem. It occupies a picturesque area at the foothills of Hwasan Mountain, near the Nakdong gang  River, which gently embraced and named the village (“hahoe” means “enveloped by water").

The face (mask) of Andong

We started our adventure at the Hahoe World Mask Museum, which preserves the treasured Hahoe m asks  and traditional masks of other countries (China, Indonesia, Thailand ,  etc.). During the operating hours (9:30-18:00, free entrance), it is free to enjoy the multiple art pieces, adorning the walls and shelves. Moreover, we could try some masks on, take photos, put the mask stamps, and even make masks ourselves for only 5,000 won.

Next, we headed to get the Hahoe Village entrance ticket (5,000 won/adult), jumped in the shuttle bus, which cycles every 5-10 minutes, and in just 3 minutes we were at its main entrance. Hahoe Village welcomed us with its frozen-in-time architecture, filled with slow-paced vibes, small stalls with handcrafted wooden masks and other souvenirs, cozy cafes offering coffee and traditional tea, and delicious restaurants serving local culinary specialties, including  jjimdak  (braised chicken with vegetable and cellophane noodles in soy sauce based broth), gangodeungeo  (salted mackerel),  heotjesabap  (ceremonial bibimbap), guksu  (noodle dish), and Andong  soju (distilled alcoholic beverage).

Traditional market open at Hohoe Village

There are a lot of guesthouses like this at Hohoe Village.

It is possible to explore the Hahoe Village area on foot or by riding a small electric car (10 ,000-30,000 won/hour).

Electric car rent is possible.

We chose to walk, as it allowed us to witness in detail the ancient lifestyle manifested in every house and small yard with stone fences, stacked firewood, and antique pottery. Speaking of houses, many traditional tiled-roof ( hanok ) and thatched-roof ( choga ) houses, depicting the coexistence of aristocracy and commoners, are well preserved here. Since the end of 14 th  century, for more than six hundred years, the houses were the residence for the Pungsan Ryu family, descendants of a Joseon Dynasty minister, and for renowned scholars. Nowadays, they serve as guesthouses or just picture-perfect structures of the open sky museum.

The famous Samsin goddess (wish tree) in Hahoe Village

Amazed by the simple yet timeless beauty, we were wandering for some time in the entangled alleys of the v illage, until we stumbled upon a big branchy tree planted in the center. It is believed that this 600-year-old tree is the home of the goddess Samsin, patron of pregnancy and childbirth. There, we could write down our heart’s desires on a white paper strip and hang it under the tree, along with the wishes of thousands of other visitors decorating the perimeter of the tree and wooden sculpture of the deity. At that moment, Queen Elizabeth II crossed our minds: did she also make a wish here back in 1999 during the royal tour to Hahoe Village on her 73rd birthday?

Hanok vs chogajip (thatched roof house)

The stunning scenery of the village is completed by the pine forest, planted at the Nakdong gang River bank, adjacent to the northeast edge of Hahoe. Here, we passed some time just sitting on the bench, shadowed by the lush trees, breathing in the refreshing scents of pine and water, and enjoying the view of Buyongdae Cliff rising up across the river, right in front of our eyes. There is a ferry that travels to the cliff, opening a panoramic view  of the village, but we were running out of time, so we headed out to the next destination.

Hahoe Village

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Wollyeonggyo Bridge lighting up at her glory

It was just after sundown – a great time to visit Wollyeonggyo Bridge, located just few minutes’ drive from Andong Station. This pinewood carpet, stretched across the Nakdonggang River, has been the nation’s longest footbridge for over 15 years. The name Wollyeonggyo, which means “The Moonlight Bridge”, proves itself a magnificent place to look closely at the face of the moon reflected on the surface of the water and admire its light shed on the river valley.

A special bonus for visitors is the opportunity to take stunning photos on the bridge with the elegant Wollyeongjeong Pavilion towering in the center and to chain a “love bottle” on a metal grid fence at the end of the bridge.

The center of attention of Wollyeonggyo Bridge

A beautiful walk by the riverside

Furthermore, the bridge leads to the Folk Museum, which displays Confucian culture, traditional ceremonies, houses, and games. So next time, we wish to arrive there before 6 pm to get this kind of folklore experience. This time, we enjoyed our walk along the bridge and the river, appreciating the night magic of this place.

Overall, Andong is a Korean gem city for its historical scholar culture and significant folklore artifacts. It gifted us with the wonderful rural vibes of the ancient days, the colorful tastes of the local cuisine and infinite serenity, impossible to find elsewhere.

Our Andong adventure was amazing and we definitely want to come back here again.

The lawn

Meet and fall in love with the prettiest hanok we’ve ever seen - “ Heunghae Bae Imyeonjaejongtaek ”, also known as “Imyeonjae”. This unusually long-named house also holds an extensive history that made it a heritage site of Korea. While looking for it, we noticed its dark-brown signboard, which is a common mark for historical places in Korea. Having a little knowledge about its antiquity, we approached this 600-year-old treasure, slightly hidden near the mountains. The view made us catch our breath: several picture-perfect ancient buildings, with a spacious yard in front and a blue sky coming down on mountains as a backdrop, were sitting proudly on a small hill. At that mo ment, we did not realize yet that just after spending one night, this house would turn out to be our home.

Inside room

The owner approached us shortly after our arrival. Exceedingly polite and friendly, he showed to us the room, arranged and warmed up beforehand. The room was small but cozy, with a traditional floor heating ( ondol ) and glass doors, air conditioner, curtains, and a cabinet for clothing. There was no TV  in the room or Wi- Fi. The owner believed that “Wi- Fi holds people indoors”. And he was right, as the outdoors were too beautiful to stay inside. So very soon we left our room to explore other amenities.

We found the separate kitchen with the only TV. The kitchen by itself is big, common for all the guests. It has all the necessary tableware to eat and amenities to cook, including an electric stove, microwave, and fridge. Additionally, a water dispenser, complementary tea and coffee are provided. The bathroom is separated from the room as well, which can be a bit uncomfortable, especially in winter. But this arrangement provided us with a unique back-in-time mood that makes all the amends. Moreover, the bathroom is nice and modern with a hot shower and cleansers.

Kitchen

Pond outside

Later on, we had a cup of tea with the owner on the wide green lawn. He told us that the main building of the house was constructed in 1558, during the Joseon era, by a governor. He later inherited it as a 16 th  generation heir. The property has been maintained according to its original plan, and most of the restorations and repairs followed the blueprint. On a modern scale, the guesthouse  has a massive area with 6 rooms offered to guests. There are only 3 bathrooms in the guesthouse - two outside the main house, and one inside. The guesthouse also has a small pond and resting place, which looked especially intriguing for spending languid summer evenings.

Small library

The original house plan showed a book room, where the house owner used to keep his books. All the books that were found in that room were given to the museum, but the guesthouse owner made a small library in the same place instead. Currently there are many books (in Korean language only) for kids and adults. The library is known as “little library”. The guests can use it anytime, and it is  open to the public from 9:00 to 18:00.
During our stay, Imyeonjae became our home. Its picturesque scenery, cozy rooms, rich history and isolated location make a perfect shelter from all the worries and noises. Literally, it’s hard to hear anything but your own presence after sundown. The hospitality of the owner was unprecedented. The whole time he stayed in his office, ready to support and guide us, which was extremely useful, considering that the location that is not easily accessible by bus (taxi can be a necessity there). As for the nearest to-go places, there is a market a 15-minute walk towards Andong University, so ther are some restaurants. But if you consider visiting Andong, one dish you must try is “Andong jjimdak” - a spicy steamed chicken dish with noodles and vegetables. The best place to try this local delicacy is at Andong Gu Market’s “Andong jjimdak Alley”, which is dedicated to some of the most famous restaurants serving this meal. It is located in the Andong downtown area and it is a 15-20-minute taxi ride from Imyeonjae. Wollyeonggyo Bridge, the must-visit longest wooden footbridge in Korea, is also a short taxi ride (20 minutes) from the guesthouse.

Andong Jjimdak Street

Overall, Imyeonjae is a perfect place for   a  time  travel t o  the past. It actually made us doubt that we were still in the 21 st  century. It enriched us with a wonderful experience and made us reevaluate all the modern facilities we have now. Indeed, progressive technologies are good, but from time to time ,  our hearts tend to yearn for our origins, for nature. We could find that at Imyeonjae, and we want to go back there whenever our hearts need to refill.