Korean Folk Village

Last month I went to the Korean Folk Village located in Suwon, with a group of people from the Daeheung Baptist Church English congregation. This is a typical village of the Joseon period that has been recreated on a 243-acre site regarded as a propitious location according to the principles of feng shui, with a river flowing in front of it and a mountain behind it. Here, 260 traditional Korean houses have been relocated from the various regions of Korea and you can participate in re-enactments of the ancient way of life. The Traditional Folk Village is located just south of Seoul.

With Anita and Eunjoo.

Can you tell that they get visitors from all over the world?

Wish rocks. People write a wish on a piece of paper and tie it on to the ropes on the rocks. On New Year's the wishes are collected and burned. Your wish will then come true.

With the group from church.

Entering the folk village.

The smith hard at work. The goods they make are for sale. They take special orders too.

One of the farming plots.

A grain mill.

One of the many village buildings.

Waiting for the show to start.

Farmer's Music and Dance Performance.

With Eunchong and his cousin.

The villagers are enjoying the show too.

Acrobatic Performance on a tightrope.

Equestrian Feats

The announcer...and no, microphones did not exist in the Joseon period.

The courage test. Holding a flower in your mouth while another snaps it off with a whip. Gotta have a lot of trust in your teammate.

Acrobatics on horses.

Shooting at targets.

Bet you can't do that.

 Heading to a nobleman's house for the Traditional Wedding Ceremony.

Entrance of the groom.

The bride and groom greet each other.

After the wedding, there is a procession through the village to the couple's new home. The groom rides a horse at the front of the procession and the bride rides in this box.

One of the buildings was closed off as there was a historical movie being filmed while we were there.

At the hospital.

Watch your head! This doorway is quite low.

Different herbs and medicines.

Where medicines are prepared.

Walking around the village, enjoying the sites.

 Bathroom anyone?

At a nobleman's house.

There have been many historical dramas that have been filmed at the folk village. There are a few cutouts of movie/drama characters around the village that you can take pictures with.

Ovens

Villagers making and selling straw products.

Villager selling homemade rock candy.

I'm not sure what these statues are for. Maybe to protect the village from evil spirits?

Drying herbs.

Another mill.

Besides the village, there are also some restaurants that serve traditional Korean food.

Oh the garlic...this restaurant loves garlic.

If you cross the river, there is an Amusement Family Park, where families can take their kids for kiddie rides and shows. You can also go on a boat ride on the river, or try your hand at craft making.

After the Folk Village, we went to the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, but that's for another post.