A few weeks have already passed since you came to Korea as an exchange student. Are there any special places you want to go, while you are in Korea? Maybe, you can look around clubs in Hongdae (홍대) and go to a bar in Itaewon (이태원) with your friends. There must be lots of opportunity to experience daily lives of Korean university students. However, you may have few opportunities to experience traditional Korean lives. So, I recommend you to go to ‘Korean Folk Village (KFV)’ (한국민속촌). KFV is a theme park focused in traditional culture. It is located in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do (경기도 용인시). KFV runs a free shuttle bus from Suwon Station (수원역) and Sanggal Station (상갈역), so you can take that bus after riding the subway to these stations. Despite the long distance, KFV is an attractive place to visit if you want to experience traditional Korean culture. There are reasons why you should visit this great place.
First, various traditional art performances take place in KFV every day. Agricultural events and events marking annual traditional holidays may attract your attention. Compared to other folk villages, KFV is famous for diverse events. For example, you can see acrobatics on a Tightrope walking, traditional wedding ceremony, equestrian feats and so on. Special performances and events are prepared every season. To celebrate the upcoming Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) (추석), KFV prepares new occasions for tourists recently like sharing songpyeon (송편), stuffed rice cakes. Also Korean folk village has a unique ghost exhibition hall. It comprises all ghosts from Korean legends and tales. Ride the horror train and meet Korea’s indigenous ghosts.
Second, Korean folk village is a great place to take pictures that remind you of Korea’s unique atmosphere. In the folk village, you will meet Korean traditional characters who lived in the Joseon dynasty period. These characters make you feel like you are back in the past! Such characters are famous on Facebook these days so many tourists visit KFV, because of them. Find them and take pictures with them. Also if you are interested in Korean dramas and movies, visit the historical drama photo zone! Korean folk village is famous for its historical drama village. Lots of dramas and movies are filmed in here. Recently, ‘My love from the star’ (별에서 온 그대) finished filming. Plenty of fans who love Soohyun Kim (김수현) visit this place.
In addition, there are plenty of hands-on programs and activities for tourists. Cultural experience and craft workshops are prepared everyday. You can ride horses, do traditional dyeing on your own and experience Korean archery. Also, you can enjoy delicious types of food in KFV. There is a marketplace from the Joseon period. This market serves local dishes and seasonal foods. For example, you can taste naengmyeon (cold noodle) (냉면), muk(jellied food) (묵), bibimbap (비빔밥) and other traditional foods. Also you can taste Dongdongju and Makgeolli (동동주와 막걸리), traditional Korean rice wines.
In 2014, I participated in a mentoring program to guide exchange students. In the program, I visited Korean folk village with my mentees from Germany and Malaysia. Though we went to lots of tourist attractions, both of them told me Korean folk village was the best place to visit. They told me the biggest advantage of Korean folk village is that it is comfortable to look around cultures of Korea at a glance than any other folk villages in Korea. So, if you want to meet traditional the Korean culture, I’m sure you will be satisfied after visiting this place.
Are you eager to experience traditional Korean culture? Then go to Korean Folk Village and enjoy!
Article by Hyun Young from Korea
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