Hakindang Hanok Guesthouse in Beautiful Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do!
A Magical Arrival
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to Jeonju, Naesosa, Buan, and Maisan by the Jeollabuk-do Tourism Board. Since I’m still teaching, I was unable to make the entire trip which started early on Friday. After work on Friday evening I boarded a bus and 3 hours later I was in beautiful Jeonju! There’s something about Jeonju – I’m only ever able to get there for short stints. The first time was on the way back to Seoul after the Jindo Sea Parting Festival. We were only there for about an hour and a half, unfortunately. This time we made it to the Nambu Market and Hakindang Guesthouse before venturing out on a fun-filled weekend!
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What is a Hanok?
A hanok is a traditional Korean house with tile or thatched roofs. In a hanok-style home it is likely you’ll sleep on a heated floor, “ondol-style”. I’ve slept on the floor in a couple of hotels and I must say that this was the most comfortable ondol experience I’ve ever had. The mattress was firm, but plush. The cover was a nice weight. The heated floor was inviting and it was tough to pull myself out of bed the next morning! The only thing I would suggest for future visits is to replace the pillows – they were a little small and I ended up using part of the comforter to lay my head. I actually slept better at Hakindang guesthouse than I did the next night in a queen-sized bed in a hotel!
Interested in staying in a Hanok Hotel in Jeonju? Click here!
Dining at Hakindang
Saturday morning we were treated to a traditional Korean breakfast! The feast was laid out for us in the main house just as we sat down. I appreciated that while we sat on the floor, we had little seat backs so that we could lean. My favourite dishes were the jeon (savoury pancakes), the spinach dish, the kimchi, and the tofu. Tofu in Korea is so much tastier than in North America, I must say! We were also treated to a beautiful tea ceremony by the owner of the Hanok Guesthouse. When pouring your tea use your right hand, then pass it over to the next person so that the tea pot’s spout is facing their cup. Make sure to take about 3 sips. Appreciate the tea and make sure you don’t down it in one go, soju-style!
The Secret Room
After our enormous, delicious breakfast and tea ceremony, we were taken to a secret room in the back of the main house. We had to climb through a small entrance way and up to an attic-like place. This is where the family’s antiques and mementos are kept. There’s also a hidden window you have to climb through to where you can see a stunning view of the hanok village!
Additional Hanok Experiences
|
Program |
Participation Fees |
Minimum number of participants |
Note |
|
Tea culture experience |
10,000 won |
3 people |
|
|
Hanbok and traditional etiquette |
10,000 won |
3 people |
|
|
Hagindang Story |
10,000 won |
10 people |
First-come |
|
Tea with meditation |
10,000 won |
10 people |
|
|
Osaek Dasik making (Traditional snack) |
20,000 won |
5 people |
|
|
Jeolla-do traditional music learning |
10,000 won |
15 people |
Reservations required. |
학인당 (Hakindang) Guesthouse is located at:
Jeollabuk-do Folk Material No. 8. Address: 45, Hyanggyo-gil, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do (전라북도 전주시 완산구 향교길 45).
For more information go to http://from1908.kr/ or have a Korean speaker call +82-63-284-9929
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