📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
What do you do to travel back to 14th-century Korea, of the times of the Joseon dynasty, while being firmly footed in the 21st century? The city of Jeonju may offer some cues – where you step into a hanbok and walk across streets lined with hanoks, the traditional Korean homes built centuries ago. Hanbok is the colourful traditional Korean dress, worn by the Joseon princes and princesses.
In fact, Jeonju Hanok Village in the city is arguably the only such place in the country that has retained hanoks, 800 of them presently, presenting a stark contrast to the modern buildings in the city around it. Over the last few years, the village has turned into a go-to spot for tourists — Koreans and foreigners alike — as a prototype to get a sense of what the region looked and felt like, centuries ago, and not just get the ethos, but also experience it.
So there are a multitude of shops and boutiques offering hanboks on rent (for men and women), complete with dainty accessories such as hair clips, shoes, and even matching handbags. There are photo booths and photographers all over, and the streets of Jeonju are always filled with photoshoots and reel-making activities. However, nothing is over the top or noisy. The pace is remarkably slow, relaxed, and still.
Now wonder then, that Jeonju village was designated as an international Slow City in 2010 in recognition of its relaxed pace of life where traditional culture and nature blend harmoniously. Slow City is a global recognition offered by the Italian organisation Cittaslow International, which promotes a slower, more peaceful way of life with an emphasis on preserving cultural heritage and traditions. There are several cities from China, Japan, Taiwan, and Turkey on the list as well, from Asia.
The number of visitors to this unique hanok village has increased sharply since the 2000s, and almost doubled between 2007 and 2014, from 3.17 million to 7.89 million. But despite that, there is an overarching sense of calm, restraint and tradition; no honking, no chaos, no talking over each other or breathlessness of city life.
Interestingly, the city of Jeonju itself has played a key role in the long history of Korea. It was regarded as the spiritual capital of the Joseon Dynasty. Jeonju City is the ancestral home of the Yi family, who ruled the Joseon Dynasty for more than 500 years.
According to records, the first settlers arrived in the Jeonju area over 10,000 years ago, settling around the foot of a mountain. Gradually, they spread to the surrounding flat land, and many villages came into being. The present hanok village is a vestige of that past, which continues to thrive in the present.
Traditional hanok houses are generally divided into two sections, Anchae (inner quarters) and Sarangchae (men’s quarters). Because men and women have to remain separate, Anchae is situated deep inside the house so that it is secretive and quiet, as per the Joseon tradition.
However, another unique trait of a hanok is that the floors of all the houses are heated with the ondol system. Since Koreans enjoy sitting, eating, and sleeping on the floor, it needs to remain heated. Interestingly, the floors are designed to remain cool in the summer.
Even today, some features of hanok continue to influence aspects of modern life: heated flooring, floor-sitting culture, and jjimjilbang (Korean spa). However, the hanbok is now worn only on significant occasions such as traditional holidays, weddings, and important family events.
Besides the hanok and the hanbok, at the Jeonju village, visitors can enjoy traditional Korean life and traditional foods like bibimbap, the most well-known dish from the region.
* The writer was in South Korea at the invitation of the Korea Tourism Organisation
