Thanks to Wi-Yung Kang and Kun Rhee, on 19 June we got a tour of a Hahoe village showing the traditional living situation of old Korea. The image here links to a set of other images about our tour of the village.
The village was the subject of a UNESCO case study about preservation. In addition to the good background, the report expresses some explicit concerns about the village. Here’s the opening description. Check the actual report for some nifty photos and maps as well as the concerns.
Hahoe Village is located on a beautiful riverside in the Municipality of Andong in northern part of the Kyongsang Pukto Province. In Korean, this village is called Hahoe Maul or Muldori-dong (meaning “river circle village”), because it is nestled along a bend of Naktong River, which flows around the village in an “S” shape.
The village commands a breath taking view with its sandy riverside, a pine tree forest, and beautiful cliffs and hills. The physical location alongside the river is reflective of the philosophy of yin and yang. Many consider the village speak to the heart of this thought; the river bends dynamically like that of yin and yang circle with the five elements of eastern philosophy; tree, fire, earth, air and water in harmony.
The scenic village is enhanced by the homes of the nobility with their imposing tiled roofs, as wells as farmers’ thatched-roof huts, bending walls built with stones and mud. The entire village was designated in 1984 as Folklore Material #122 under the Korea’s Cultural Property Protection Law. Today, some over 5 million square meters of land surrounding the village has been declared historical conservation sites. Any potential building efforts that could change to the village perspective view or its natural landscape is subject to approval from the central government’s Cultural Property Administration. As of the end of 1999, statistics show that there are 235 inhabitants in 105 households with 385 traditional houses and buildings.
Near the entrance to Hahoe village is the Hahoe Mask Museum. It includes displays of masks from Korea, elsewhere in Asia, and around the world. It was fascinating to see the development of masks, beginning with a huge scallop shell that had holes placed for eyes and mouth.
It was a hot day in the sunshine, but we had a good time with your guides.
Links:
- A link to the pdf of the UNESCO case study.
- Local tourism pages about thevillage and the Hahoe Mask Museum.
- See, also, another page about the museum.
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