The Traditional Culture

Andong Day Trip: Hahoe Folk Village from Seoul

Description

Discover the ancient cultural heritage of South Korea on a visit to Andong from Seoul. Catch sweeping views from Buyongdae Cliff, learn about local art and culture at the Hahoe Mask Museum in UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hahoe Folk Village, and visit a Confucian school and temple. Lunch and round-trip transport by comfortable vehicle are included.

You'll be picked up from your Seoul hotel in the morning and taken by air-conditioned coach through Andong to Buyongdae Cliff, located approximately 3 hours away near the Taebaek Mountains. From the summit, get an amazing bird's-eye view of Hahoe Folk Village; you'll learn how the name of this cliff, meaning 'lotus,' is said to reflect the village's configuration of a lotus flower. 

Continue driving through UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hahoe Folk Village, a traditional village from the Joseon Dynasty, and visit the Hahoe Mask Museum, dedicated to mask culture in this region and throughout Korea. Tour the museum with your guide and learn about what each different mask represents, as well as the history of mask dances.

Head to a local restaurant for a lunch of regional specialties and then continue driving to Byeongsan Seowon, a Confucian school established by esteemed scholars to pay tribute to notable Confucian personality Seong-nyong Yu. Your guide will explain how this temple is one of 47 in Korea not destroyed in 1868 during the rule of Daewongun, a Joseon-era imperialist and politician.

Your last stop will be Bongjeongsa Temple, the largest temple in Andong. Relish the unique, elegant atmosphere as you visit several towers and buildings including three-story Stone Pagoda. After your time here, you'll be dropped off at your hotel or the shopping district in Seoul, whichever you prefer.

Pictures Credit to Viator.com

Pottery Making Experience in Icheon

Description

Discover the world of Korean pottery on this half-day tour of Icheon Ceramics Village from Seoul. At Icheon, which dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), explore a complex containing more than 300 ceramic-art studios with a knowledgeable guide before you try your hand at this time-honored art form. Follow up your pottery class with visits to the Haegang Ceramics Museum and an amethyst factory or a ginseng center. Lunch and round-trip transport are included.

When your coach arrives at your hotel, hop aboard for the approximately 1-hour drive to Icheon Ceramics Village. Icheon has been a center of traditional ceramics in Korea for centuries, due to its proximity to obtainable pottery-making materials plus plenty of fuel to fire up the kilns. The pieces made here are recognized worldwide, and you'll soon see why.

Upon arrival, walk with your guide around the huge complex containing more than 300 ceramic-art studios. Learn about the evolution of celebrated works of art such as celadon porcelain, punch'ong ware and white porcelain as you watch masters and their apprentices working at pottery wheels and wood-fired kilns. Listen as your guide describes how both traditional and contemporary Korean ceramics are made.

You may not be able to mimic these handicrafts of the highest quality, but you can at least try your hand at it in a pottery-making class. See an expert demonstrate the skills and then get behind the pottery wheel to shape your own masterpiece under the guidance of your instructor.

Then head to the Haegang Ceramics Museum, the first of its kind in Korea. Peruse traditionally crafted works on display at this museum run by the Haegang Institute of Koryo Celadon and learn about its namesake artist.

Once you've worked up an appetite, enjoy a dish called ssal-bab for lunch at a local restaurant. This regional cuisine includes Icheon-produced steamed rice served in a hot stone pot with several side dishes.

Drop by an amethyst factory for a look at one of Korea's most famous gems or a ginseng center for medicinal herbs before your 5.5-hour tour ends in Seoul with drop-off at your hotel.

Picture credit to everydaykorea.com

Disclaimer : Sources and Pictures are GayaSeoul Travel Property.