- Address: prov. Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju, Wo. Kandong Myeon, Yandonmayil-gil 134
- Tel .: 054-762-6263 (cash desk), 054-779-6124 (office)
- Sites: yangdong.invil.org, guide.gyeongju.go.kr
The Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) is the most interesting period in Korean history. You can learn about it by visiting numerous museums in South Korea . And you can just go to the folklore village of Yandon, which in 2010 was included in the UNESCO list as one of the World Heritage sites.
How did the village of Yandon?
The history of this place dates back to the middle of the 15th century. Then a famous scientist named Son So, who belonged to the genus Son, first visited the valley and fell so in love with her beauty that he decided to settle here. He built a large house for himself, where he brought his clan here. And after the daughter of Son So married one of the representatives of the Li dynasty, their family also moved to Yandon, having built a second mansion. Very soon an entire village was built between these two houses, consisting of residential houses for all their relatives and servants, pavilions for rest and schooling, farm buildings.
A remarkable fact from the history of the village is that many celebrities and talents of those times were from exactly these places. Historians seriously believe that the reason for this is the unique location of the village, which was specifically designed according to the canons of the ancient teachings of feng shui.
What is interesting about the settlement?
A tour of the village of Yandong is a great way to get acquainted with the history of ancient Korea. Instead of walking through dusty museums, tourists come to a folklore village in the open air. It is considered the most preserved among other settlements of the Joseon Dynasty. There are many interesting places and features:
- Architecture. It is represented by more than 160 houses. The most important monuments are Hyundan, Kwangajong and Muchhdoman. All the buildings of the village are connected by beautiful paths, paths and stone walls. The houses of noble people are covered with tiles and are on the dais, and the simple ones have thatched roofs and are located at the foot of the hill.
- Sanctuaries. The people who lived here professed Confucius' teaching. According to him, it was very important to observe moral etiquette and veneration of parents. Thanks to this, a patrimonial system emerged: noble people with the same name lived on the territory of the village. All of them belonged to the estate of Yanban (nobles). Until now, several Confucian sanctuaries have survived.
- Cultural Center. It is located in front of the village entrance. In it you can find out all the information about the history of the village, consider the exposition of valuable artifacts, take part in one of the master classes devoted to the themes of Korean traditional culture .
Excursions
Since Yandon, in fact, is a huge museum, visit it better with a tour. This will help not to miss the most interesting and, in addition, to learn the details, without which walking through the village museum will be only a boring contemplation. Excursions are conducted in Korean, Japanese and English. Audioguide can be used for free.
Yandong is a popular tourist attraction , and the city of Gyeongju , where it is located, has planned several different routes through the village:
- Hachon - 20 minutes;
- Mulbongol - 1 hour;
- Suzholdan - 1 hour;
- Nagok - 1 hour;
- Tightness - 30 minutes;
- Hyundan - 1 hour.
In 1993 the village was even visited by Prince Charles. Since then, it has become even more popular among foreign visitors coming to South Korea .
It is also interesting that the village is still inhabited. Here you can meet indigenous people (mostly elderly people), to appreciate their distinct culture, to see pets, green gardens. Yandon is a real living cultural heritage of Korea.
Features of visiting the village
Among the information that will be useful for tourists, we note:
- The work time of the village is from 9:00 to 19:00 (April to October) or to 18:00 (November to March), without days off;
- the cost of visiting adult sightseers is 4 thousand won, which is equivalent to $ 3.5;
- in the village there are toilets, free parking.
How to get there?
You can reach the village by bus. To do this, you should first get to Gyeongju City (4 hours drive from Seoul), and then take one of Routes 200, 201 or 208 at Gyeongju Intercity Terminal. Your stop is Yandon Meil. Leaving the bus, you will have to walk about 1 km to the village.