Feeling Traditional in Jeonju Hanok Village
Jeonju is one beautiful city in North Jeolla Province, it is not as big as Gwangju and may not be as famous as Gyeongju or Andong, but Jeonju holds a special place in my heart, I have been there 4 times, and all involved a visit to its famous Hanok (Korea traditional house) Village.
In every visit the place offers something new and different. Coming from Gwangju, a rather forgotten city in the southern part of Korea, coming here where tourists gather is very interesting. I don’t mind taking a 1.5 hour ride by bus to this quaint little city, it’s easy to navigate and the city is friendly. From my very recent visit to Jeonju (twice in May!) let me summarize my visit.
From Gwangju, it’s 1.5-hour ride to the north. The Hanok Village is located close to the terminal, it’s about 15 minutes or about 4,000-5,000 won taxi ride. Jeonju is smaller than Gwangju and the bus route may be a bit difficult to understand for foreigners; they don’t have timetable. I would recommend taking a taxi instead. But if you’d like to take a bus, the Hanok Village is about 6 stops away from the Bus Terminal. Take no. 79 from 전주고속버스터미널 and get off at 전동성당-한옥마을, you can’t miss it.
Entrance from the south side, next to Taejo Road
The houses in the Hanok Village is not exactly traditional; most were renovated and turned into guesthouses, so if you’d like to stay overnight, there are tons of guesthouses offering space, just look for the sign “방 있어요” or “room available” on the entrance.
Although most of the houses are either turned into guesthouses, museums or cafe/ restaurants, there are still houses with individual owner who choose not to open for business. Finding these houses are simple: just go out from the main streets and go through the maze of houses. I could never imagine if my house was located in between a tourist attraction and people peeking in to see my house from the locked gate. I truly commend these house owners. Cars are not allowed into the streets, except the Taejo Road connecting the main street all the way to the Cathedral. During busy festival, the road is closed altogether.
What I really liked about this Hanok Village is the interesting knick-knacks and decorations of the premises and even on the road. They’re combination of creativity and originality. Those who like arts (and even those who don’t), there are numerous art supplies shops here, mostly selling hanji, Korean traditional paper. They can be used for various purposes, even for making shoes!
Price for items here are not exactly cheap; mostly were expensive but you can get the sense of originality. If you’re looking for souvenirs to bring home, this might be the place. Some great stores located hidden from the crowd, you might have to poke around.
Cafes and food galore! If you come here not to shop, you might want to spend your money on foods. One of the most famous is Jeonju bibimbap (mixed rice). I honestly don’t know what is the difference between this one and the regular bibimbap, one thing for sure, it’s much more expensive here! Expect to spend around 7,000~15,000 won for a bowl of hot-stone pot of bibimbap. If you are still hungry after a hearty meal, street snacks are only a foot away.
Jeonju bibimbap
choco pie from Pungnyeon Bakery
I went to Cafe Tomorrow, located in the main street. It claimed to offer great view of the Village from above (seatings are available from second to third floors). Their third floor is actually the roof, so you have the whole view for yourself. However I found the beverage price of the cafe was quite steep (Americano for 5,000 won?!) and you can actually see the whole village for free from the hill just next to the village (to get there, simply go along the road, passing the sign shown on the 2nd image of this post).
View from Cafe Tomorrow (third floor)
Three major attractions in the area include the Jeondong Cathedral (전동성당), Gyeonggijeon (경기전), and the 500-year-old Ginkgo Tree. To get to the Cathedral, simply walk straight from the Taejo Road. It was constructed in 1908 for 6 years. You can view the inside of the church when there is no service in session. I went there four times and could only get inside on two occasions. The Cathedral compound is huge and offers lots of benches under the trees for sitting and enjoying the atmosphere.
A stone throw away from the Cathedral is the Gyeonggijeon. The place is built to commemorate the significance of Jeonju, as the ancestors of King Taejo from Joseon Dynasty lived here, and thus Jeonju is regarded as home of the Joseon imperial family. It is also a huge area housing museums and artifacts of royal families like robes, paintings, palanquins, etc. Strolling around here will remind you of palaces in Seoul. There is a small fee for entering the place.
The 500-year old ginko tree is a trademark of the Village, every autumn there are many ginkgo leaves and this tree is the grandfather of all gingko trees in the whole area. So loved by the local folks that they name the road as “Gingko Tree Avenue” (은행나무길). The tree itself is huge and can provide many people shade under its branches but too bad there are no places to sit. There are cafes behind it if you’d like to drink coffee while looking at the tree.
Aside from these three major spots, there are also interesting museums to visit, all are for free, from alcohol to fans. For alcohol fans, don’t expect to see vodka or whiskey here. Traditional alcoholic drinks only are displayed.
The last thing that I loved from my last two trips here, is a vintage clothing store called Haruilgi (하루일기). All the clothes and even the interior are so vintage you’ll love it right away. Although the prices of the items are between 40,000~80,000 won range, it’s so unique you will surely leave the shop with an item or two. I recommend you to visit this place, a little farther away from the Gingko Tree Avenue (open daily from 11 am, phone 070-7623-3124).
I’m so in love with this place!
So if you are happen to be in Jeolla area, make sure you stop by this Village. Come early (before 9:30 am preferable) to beat the crowds. People start pouring in a little before lunch. The Hanok Village can be seen in one day, and two at most. If you feel more adventurous and prefer a more authentic feel, then I recommend you to go to Suncheon Naganeupseong, another traditional village on the southern part of Gwangju, but that’s another story…
For more info of the Hanok Village, click here. All photos were taken by me.