The Korean Folk Village
If there’s one place you must absolutely go to when you go to Seoul, it should be the Korean Folk Village. Also known as Minsok Village, it is situated in Yongin City, a satellite city in the Seoul Metropolitan Area in the province of Gyeonggi. It is situated on 243 acres of open area land, visitors can have a keen experience on what Traditional Korean Culture and Life was like, mainly during the Joseon Dynasty.
During Spring (March to April) and Autumn (October to November), they’re open from 9:30am to 6:00pm on Weekdays and 9:30am to 6:30pm on Weekends/Holidays. During Summer (May to September), they’re open from 9:30am to 6:30pm on Weekdays and 9:30am to 7:00pm on Weekends/Holidays. For Winter (December to February), they open form 9:30am to 5:30pm on Weekdays and 9:30am to 6:00pm on Weekends/Holidays.
If you’re bringing a car, small cars have a parking free of 2,000 Won ($2) and bigger cars have a parking fee of 3,000 Won ($3). You’re allowed to leave your car there during operational hours. There’s also a baby stroller rental for 2,000 Won ($2) with a 1,000 Won ($1) downpayment.
It’s also good to go there in groups of more than 20 because you get discount. We literally saw hundreds of adorable tiny Korean children on their field trip. For Children (4-12 years old), it’s 10,000 Won ($10) for individual and 8,000 Won ($8) for group. For Teenagers (13 – 18 years old), it’s 12,000 Won ($12) for individual and 10,000 Won ($10) for group. For Adults (19 and older), it’s 15,000 Won ($15) for individuals and 12,000 Won ($12) for groups.
It’s also good to note that in Korea they count your age from when you are first conceived, and the general rule of thumb is you add 1 to your age. So if I’m 20 in the Philippines, I’m 21 in Korea. I’m not sure which one they follow, but it might be useful for those who are along the border of the age classification and may be able to avail of the cheaper one.
My personal recommendation is to go during mid-Autumn. The ambience is different with trees in various shades of red and the weather is warm enough to not need a thick coat, but cold enough so that you don’t swear too much while walking around. Trust me, you will do a lot of walking here. Wear the right kind of shoes.
There are literally hundreds of houses on site, showcasing the vast differences in social class, livelihood and customs. There is also an amusement park sector that I wasn’t able to take photos of. We didn’t spend too much time there because it was catered mainly for children and you had to pay a little extra to use the rides.
The park itself is very scenic, and you musn’t leave it without seeing the view in my next photo. It’s like a scene straight out of a painting, or a korean drama show. It’s along the bridge that connects the traditional village with the amusement park for children. It’s the photo seen in this post’s featured image!
If you don’t mind getting your shoes wet, you should try crossing this river using the man-made rock bridge. Go when the current isn’t strong, and bring friends so you can take a nice photo. The only problem that may occur is when children start running across and you get outbalanced and fall into the knee-deep (or was it waist-deep?) water next to it. They told me that it usually doesn’t happen, but instances wherein it did have.
One of the things I enjoyed the most though were the various performances they had throughout the day. At the Performing Area pictured below, there’s a Farmers and Music Dance (10:30am & 2:00pm), Tightrope Acrobatics (11:00am & 2:30pm) and Horseback Riding Acts (11:30am & 3:00pm). There’s also a Traditional Korean Wedding Ceremony (12:00pm & 4:00pm) at the House on 22.
A great way to go about this since they are all one after the other is that you arrive at 10am or 1:30pm to secure a seat (because it fills up quite fast), and watch the shows all at once. They’re really worth it. I was so mesmerised during the equestrian show where they were shooting arrows from their moving horses that I was unable to take a picture.
We enjoyed the low tightrope thing intended for children. It was actually quite hard to keep your balance, and we had no idea how a lot of the kids we played with did it so casually.
I also made a new friend. This massive bull they kept in one of the houses was lonely so we fed him grass. It was a bit scary at first though since he tried coming really close and his horns looked really sharp.
This structure is something I found particularly interesting. I’m one of those kids who actually read the signs they made an effort to translate into English. It’s called the Seonang-dang (Shrine to the village deity) and Five color fabric. Seonang-dang means a pile of stones or a tree at the entrance of the village.
The five colors of cloth symbolize the four directions (North, East, West and South) and the center.
There is a tradition where you put three stones on top of one another in balance and make a wish when you pass. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to make a wish and do something sort of traditional, so I did what it said. What I wished for is a secret, but I found it nice that a lot of other people took the time to read the sign and do it too.
As you walk along the traditional street market area you will various handicrafts such as embroidery, pottery, baskets, wood and bamboo-made items paper, brass and iron wares, fans, and various types of musical instruments. If you’re lucky, you can actually see people practicing their craft like creating woodwork and metalwork.
If you’re into traditional Korean items, I would recommend that you purchase your souvenirs here. Other areas such as Itaewon do have similar wares, but there are surprisingly a lot of things in the Folk Village’s Traditional Market that I was not able to encounter in any of the shopping districts, even Itaewon. If ever I did find similar items, the prices were very near each other. Also, it adds to the experience of being able to say you purchased it at the Korean Folk Village.
There are also various samples of items that are not only for display but can be played with as well. I have seen at least six people (including cute little children) who have taken the time to take one of these traditional drums out for a quick photo op. The shopkeepers were generally very friendly and even let you pose with them for photos. Another great thing about this place is that all the staff are dressed in Traditional Korean attire. It really adds to the ambience.
One particular exam of a souvenir I bought that I was not able to find anywhere else is this Wooden Postcard. In fact, I haven’t seen anything like it in my travels anywhere else abroad. I have this habit of sending my boyfriend postcards from every city I go to so this really took the cake for me.
One of my regrets was that I wasn’t able to purchase this drum-like thing in the next photo. I told myself that I didn’t want to have to carry it the whole time so I would just buy it at Itaewon since I was planning to go there the next day. I was not able to find another one like it again.
There’s also an area to eat near the traditional market. The food was a little pricier than I was used to spending in Seoul, but it tasted alright. I enjoyed sitting under their tents while eating though. You have to spend at least 8,000 Won ($8) for a full meal.
Not many people noticed, but you can actually eat in the area near where you order your food in a small house-like structure. It’s more private than the rest of the eating areas and you get to have a great view of the trees. The only draw back is that in this area you have to take off your shoes.
I had a pretty great experience at the Korean Folk Village, and I would recommend it highly to anyone going to South Korea. My only regret was that I didn’t take enough pictures, and that I had left too soon.
