Hanboks and Hanoks in Traditional Jeonju

Jeonju is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Korea. It's the cultural capital of Korea, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and came third in Lonely Planet's "Best Attractions to Visit in Asia" in 2016. Despite the early morning, I am very excited to start my long journey to Jeonju, South Korea.

Day 1

Ready for my convoluted route there? I set off on the hour bus ride to the Ulsan KTX station at around 7:30 am to catch my 9 am train to Daejeon. Arriving at 10:30, I take a twenty minute bus to the express bus station where I depart at 11. The ride takes around two hours instead of an hour and a half, so I'm in Jeonju by 1 pm. Upon arriving at my "hotel," I get my first taste of traditional Jeonju. This city boasts the largest hanok village in the country, and I'll be staying in one of these traditional houses for the next few days. It's hardly furnished, with only a TV, mini fridge, small table, and some futons stacked in the corner. The doors and lanterns are made with traditional hanji paper, but the bathroom is modern. I spend a few moments taking in how cool this place is before my stomach speaks up about lunch.

Since Jeonju is a foodie's paradise, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with choices. But I've already made up my mind: bibimbap. As the birthplace of the dish, Hangukjib (한국집) is calling my name. It was also the first restaurant in Korea to be named in the Michelin guide. Bibimbap is rice mixed with various vegetables and gochujang, red chili paste. Unfortunately for my very white palate, the sauce is a bit too spicy for me. Otherwise, it's delicious and I leave feeling very full. I don't have any plans for the rest of the day so I decide to just walk around and explore the village. Soon I realize I can easily spend a day getting lost in the many side streets, shops, and museums throughout. After a few hours I spot a group of five other foreigners and realize I'd met most of them at orientation! It's a great coincidence as I'd been hoping to go on this trip with friends instead of alone. They graciously accept me into their group, and we catch up a bit while continuing to explore. The hanok village's main street, Taejo-ro, is lined with souvenir shops and street food vendors on one side and the shrine walls on the other. Unfortunately the shrine and a few other sights like the church and Confusion school were closed for my whole visit, but I guess I'll just have to come back. This street is the perfect place to grab some frozen candied strawberries, wander along the cobblestones, window-shop, and listen to some street musicians.

Later we stumble on a hanji paper shop specializing in prints and postcards. We emerge at sunset, the near-empty backstreet glowing orange. Just when we thought this place couldn't get any more beautiful, night fell. The lanterns strung between trees illuminated, as well as what we thought were rocks but actually glowed at night like tiny moons. The village seemed magical, like a scene from a Ghibli movie. Next, we head to a cafe for some pre-dinner bingsu. We get the traditional, a mountain of condensed milk shaved ice topped with red bean and injeolmi rice cakes. It is extremely delicious.

At around 7:30 pm, we meet another teacher at Yetchon Makgeolli (엣촌막걸리) for dinner. Jeonju is also known for makgeolli, rice wine drank from a bowl. Well, I can't tell you what it tastes like, but everyone else seems to enjoy it. We order the "Special" menu, not really knowing what to expect. First comes the wine, then a few dishes, then more, and more, and more. It never seems to end. We had kimchi jjim ( braised kimchi with pork), samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup), jokbal (pigs feet), kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake), grilled mushrooms, cheesy omelette, grilled mackerel, boiled ark shells, grilled shrimp, marinated raw crab with rice, kimchi spring rolls, fried ginko nuts, sashimi and pork, grilled duck, grilled corvina, and finally grilled short rib patties. I'm tired just writing all that. I skip most of the seafood options, but everything I try is delicious even though sometimes I have no clue what it is. My favorites have to be the kimchi spring rolls, shrimp, and duck. We leave feeling very full (but not before I spill samgyetang on my new shirt). Apparently we aren't full enough because then we head to a near-deserted rooftop bar for some after-dinner snacks and Backstreet Boys belting.

Back at my hanok for the night, it's time to figure out how to set up my futon. I stack two for additional comfort and lay back on the buckwheat husk-filled pillow. It's not the epitome of soft in the least but apparently really good for your neck and back.

Day 2

Good morning from the floor! I slept through the night and wake up early as usual. It's a slow morning for me this holiday day. It's Chuseok in Korea, a holiday celebrating a bounteous harvest, similar to Thanksgiving. People travel to their hometowns to pay respects to their elders and feast. We expect everything from shops to restaurants to be closed, so we've planned a more outdoorsy day today. Everything is not closed and the streets are just as crowded as yesterday, so we head to a restaurant for breakfast at around 10:30. It's mul naengmyeon for me, icy cold noodle soup. Not your average breakfast but hey, at least there was a boiled egg in it. Then we head over to the Omokdae viewpoint. It's a short, pleasant "hike" up some stairs, but we're greeted with a bit of disappointment at the top. The pavilion itself is historical and beautiful, but it's closed, leaving the viewpoint over the hanok rooftops unobtainable.

Fortunately, we descend in a different direction and stumble upon some incredible views of the surrounding town and mountains in the distance. A convenient bridge drops us off at our next destination: Jaman mural village. What was once a poor hillside shantytown is now a tourist hot-spot covered in colorful murals. In an effort to rejuvenate the area, local artists were called to paint the town. From manga art and pointillism to celebrities and pop culture, there are gems around every corner. The streets are narrow, winding, and filled with cafes, shops, and guesthouses. We spend a while getting lost before popping into the 'ET' cafe to rest. This aptly nicknamed cafe features vintage items and memorabilia, as well as a life-size ET sitting at one of the tables. We head outside to the astroturf-laden terrace to sip our drinks with a great view over the surrounding area.

We explore some more and admire the artwork before heading down to the river. Through a tunnel and up some stone steps leads us to Hanbyeokdang pavilion. We remove our shoes and step around a family playing what I would guess to be a traditional Korean game. Being situated next to a bustling bridge distracts somewhat from the peaceful nature atmosphere, but the view over the river doesn't disappoint. We wander along the river a bit farther, try some exercise machines, then take the walk back to the hanok village. For lunch, we all try the famous Jeonju choco pies from PNB. I got regular chocolate, white chocolate, and strawberry. Choco pies are one of the most popular snacks in Korea and boy are they delicious, especially when not mass-produced. Unfortunately, because of some sneaky nuts, a friend has to hurry back to their hotel for benadryl. Most of the others agree that it is indeed naptime, but one new friend stays out with me and we walk aimlessly around the village.

I must say, I'm really not a tea person (besides the sweet iced kind), but for some reason I really wanted to visit a traditional tea house here. Passing through a courtyard, we enter the hanok housing Gyodong Dawan (교동다원). It's a truly beautiful setting with the nature, traditional architecture, and soothing music of all genres. We order hwangcha, Korean yellow tea. Along with the tea, we get a demonstration of how to make it. The boiling water is inaugurally poured over the teapot itself and into the basin then into the tiny clay pot. Leave no time to steep before straining the tea and serving it. We sit for probably around two hours, just talking and enjoying the peaceful vibes. We must've had at least three whole cups each before the thermos ran out.

Later that night, the restaurant we wanted to go to is closed so we find another close by, Guiljib (구일집). We have bulgogi that is absolutely delicious, pajeon, and kimbap. Not content to turn in just yet, we head to the main street again. Ever since arriving, I've convinced myself to get some street food here, so tonight is the night. I choose the longest line and wait my turn. What's on the menu? A grilled octopus skewer covered in melted cheese and sauce. It's so good! We sit and chat along the street while listening to some busking, a great way to end the day.

Day 3

With all the walking, it's difficult to get back to my place and not be able to fall into a nice soft bed, but I've been sleeping surprisingly well. It's another slow morning, and I meet up with the gang for breakfast. It's just a smoothie for me as we plan the rest of our day. My feet already feel like they're ready to die, so when the group decides to rent rail bikes, I decline and head off to do my own thing. It's definitely something I'll have to check out if I come back here.

My journey this afternoon takes me to a nondescript little paper shop across from the Confucian school. Jeonju is known for hanji, the traditional paper of Korea made from mulberry trees. It's supposed to last for thousands of years and can even survive in water. Arts and crafts is my jam and paper makes me happy so I knew I wanted to buy some. I browse for a minute, look through some notebooks, then the shop owner starts talking to me in Korean. I catch the word "make" and she's giving me an apron and we're walking over to this big vat of liquid. I guess we're doing this. Apparently the process of drying the mulberry is very difficult, so we start at the easy part. The tub is filled with mulberry fibers, glue, and water. She demonstrates each step before I do it, so I don't have to rely on my horrible Korean very much. First you dip the bamboo strainer into the mixture, then shake it side to side and front to back to strain the water through. You're left with a thin film of fibers which you place on a mat. Then she brings me out front to pick some flowers. I arrange them in a pleasing pattern on the "paper" then do a second round of straining, sandwiching the flowers in the middle of two sheets. Traditionally, the paper is dried in the sun, but we had a vacuum to get most of the moisture out. We went back inside the shop, and I started folding the pages of my notebook while she ironed out my new, one of a kind hanji. To make the binding, hammer in nails to make holes in the notebook, then thread them with twine in a traditional style. Finish it off with a stamp and voila! It's beautiful and I'll probably never want to write in it because I love it so much. 너무 예쁘다! I express my thanks and continue strolling the village, searching for more things to buy. Stamps make me just as happy as notebooks do, so I purchase a hand-carved little seal with my name in Korean on it: 로즈알리. Most Koreans use these seals to sign important documents instead of writing their signatures.

Now it's time to meet back up with the group and get some lunch. They get to Veteran (베테랑) first so I just waltz past the huge line outside and slip in just as they're getting a table. Nice. It's my first time taking off my shoes to enter a restaurant and also eating at a floor table. It's slightly uncomfortable and quite cramped with the six of us, but dang the food completely makes up for it. We get a bunch of dumplings and kalguksu, knife-cut noodles. The line out front didn't lie, it's absolutely to die for.

With full bellies we do possibly the thing I've been most excited for this trip. Time to don the hanbok! It's 10,000 won (~$9) an hour for your basic rental of these traditional Korean clothes. The first store we head to doesn't have quite the selection we want, but when the lady calls us back inside and offers us two hours for the price of one, we decide to make it work. It's so hard to choose just one, but I finally settle on a red skirt. Surprisingly, the easy part is getting changed. I slip on a hoop skirt over my clothes, wrap the red skirt/suspender combo around it, and a lady comes to tie it for me. She also chooses a complimentary top and ties that as well. Done! It's also surprising not uncomfortable at all. Next, each of us sit for hair which goes by so fast despite some seemingly complex designs. I really want a ribbon, or daenggi, but it's usually tied at the end of a long braid. Though she seems skeptical, the hair lady takes pity on me and ties it at the top of a short ponytail. I choose a purse, the guys choose their hats (gat), and we're off to stroll the town feeling like royalty. Even so, we don't stand out at all. You really see tons of people here wearing all different kinds of hanbok: traditional, modern, scholars, kings, warriors, even a surprising amount of gender swaps. And the couples always have to coordinate. Our one and only goal now is photos. Lots and lots of photos.

As an avid dresser-upper, I'm keen on spending the entire two hours decked out. Most of the group bows out after an hour, but a friend and I keep at it. I'm so reluctant to take everything off when the time ends around dusk, but I'm also getting hungry. We all connect once more to head over to the night market, passing by the Pungnammun Gate along the way. As it's a Friday around dinnertime, we expect the market to be packed with food stalls and hungry people. This is not the case. Whether it's the holiday or covid or bad luck I don't know, but there isn't really much to choose from. We end up getting fried chicken from an apparently really popular spot and wandering to an empty storefront ledge to eat. It's delicious, as usual. Fun fact: fried chicken always comes with some mu (radish) on the side. Walking back to our places we see a giant mural showing Jeonju of the past and a pretty, lit-up traditional building. We hang out a bit more on the hanok village main street before I thank my friends for a great vacation and we part ways. What a great last full day here!

Day 4

Everyone else headed out really early, but I had some time to kill before my bus. In order to make up for missing out on views over the hanok village, I first go to a rooftop cafe. They only have cake to eat so I buy it and eat it like the adult that I am. The view is beautiful over the village with all of the old roofs. I love me a good view. Next, I head back to the market, this time to the second floor Cheongnyeon Youth Mall. It's small but very cute and trendy-looking with cafes and handicraft shops. I stop by a shop selling traditional Korean decorative knots. They're gorgeous and very intricate, so I buy one as a small souvenir. I don't stay very long and leave with the intention of doing more shopping. I want to buy a daenggi and some more hanji products but all the stores I pass are closed. Today is actually another holiday, National Foundation Day, celebrating the foundation of the first Korean state in 2333 BC. Yeah that's pretty old. I've heard it's usually just an excuse to take a rest and I guess that includes closing up shop too.

In a last effort to find something, I walk to the Jeonju Cultural Center nearby. There are lots of handicraft shops here as well but nobody in them and locked doors. The lights are on inside all the shops so I chill outside for a bit hoping that the owners are all on lunch break and will be back soon. No such luck. I still have about an hour left before I need to head out so I just relax and people-watch on the hanok village main street. Before catching a bus to the station, I pick up my bags and say goodbye to my hanok. My express bus leaves at 3:30 and arrives in Daejeon at 5. I transfer to the train station, eat, and board my train at 6. I'm back in Ulsan by 7 and back home by 8. My feet are absolutely wrecked and I'm so happy to have tomorrow to rest. Despite the convoluted journey, this trip has been one for the books. I am infinitely glad I went and had only incredible experiences. Jeonju is a must-visit in Korea, and I still want to go back to do all the things I missed out on!

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Check out my Jeonju trip video below!

Thanks for reading!