[Lifehacks] Catch some z's under the roof of a traditional hanok this summer vacation

K-campus

Published: 28 Jun. 2022, 15:19 Updated: 03 Mar. 2023, 17:42

[Lifehacks] Catch some z's under the roof of a traditional hanok this summer vacation

A view of a hanok (traditional Korean home) which is part of Nongam Jongtaek in Andong, North Gyeongsang. [LEE SUN-MIN]

Make your vacation different from the get-go by staying at a traditional Korean home, or hanok. Different from the modern buildings that fill Korean cities now, hanok is a popular choice for those who want a different overnight experience away from the fancy high-rise hotels and busy rooftop pools.

The traditional Korean-style home is usually a one-story building. The roof is covered with tiles called giwa, and the floor uses Korea’s own floor heating system called ondol, though there won't be any need for it in the summer. Traditionally, all doors and windows are made with Korean paper called hanji. The entire building is built without using any nails or adhesives: the carpenters cut the wood in a way that the entire house can be assembled by itself, which means it is even possible to take the entire house apart and move it to a different location.

Most hanok resorts are built close to mountains and rivers so as to be near to nature and away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Still, there are some hanok across the country that have withstood the centuries. Some of the families that kept their traditional house still live in it, or even open some parts of their house to paying guests.

The typical hanok with giwa roofing was usually owned by aristocrats who were relatively better off than others, and would have many rooms to spare. Unless frequently used, the hanok could quickly turn into something like an abandoned house, so many hanok homeowners opt to keep their house partially open for guests, so as to keep the house alive.

Some newly built hanok resorts provide the same comforts available at hotels while still keeping all the traditional elements that make the overnight experience more Korean.

The cliff and the river right by Nongam Jongtaek in Andong, North Gyeongsang [ELLYEOP PYUNJOO]

Nongam Jongtaek

Located in Andong, South Gyeongsang, this hanok is located right by a cliff and river. Guests are welcome to go by the river and set out their own chairs for a drink or even an outdoor barbecue. On a clear night, the sky is filled with stars.

A bottle of Ellyeop Pyeonjoo [ELLYEOP PYEONJOO]

The elderly homeowners still live on the premise and greet the overnight guests each day. The husband checks people in, and the wife makes guests' stays even more memorable by making alcoholic drinks made of rice, similar to makgeolli. The murky alcoholic rice drink is made by fermenting rice with traditional Korean yeast called nuruk. While bottles of the same traditional drink sell out quickly at liquor shops in Seoul, there is enough here to drink and even bring home. The drink is called Ellyeop Pyunjoo, and a bottle goes for 30,000 won ($23).

Accommodations can be booked for an entire house with friends and family, all the way down to just a single room. If you plan on spending more time outside by the river or in the garden area, the cheapest option available would be a small room for two, starting from 70,000 won.

www.nongam.com

Awon Museum & Hotel in Wanju, North Jeolla, is where BTS members came for a photo shoot in 2019. [LEE SUN-MIN]

Awon Museum & Hotel

This particular hanok hotel in Wanju, North Jeolla, gained much of its popularity due to global star BTS. The boy band visited the property for a summer photo shoot for one of their albums in 2019.

Though the full experience would require an overnight stay, many come just to make a quick day trip. The hotel is often photographed with its white linen hanging in front of the windows, dancing in the wind, and many guests take a photo with the dancing curtains in the background. The hanok was reassembled with the same wood as those used to make the hanok village in Jinju, South Gyeongsang.

The hotel is open from noon till 4 p.m. to anyone that visits without a reservation. Such passersby cannot go inside the rooms but are allowed to sit down on the maru, the balcony area of hanok, or walk around the garden. For overnight guests, rooms start from 270,000 won.

Inside the art museum of Awon Museum & Hotel in Wanju, North Jeolla [LEE SUN-MIN]

There is an art museum right next to the hotel that features artworks of different artists specializing in media art. The gallery is open from noon till 5 p.m. and admission is 10,000 won.

www.awon.kr

A nighttime view of the hanok at Namwonyechon by Kensington in Namwon, North Jeolla [NAMWONYECHON]

Namwonyechon by Kensington

The resort in Namwon, North Jeolla, is operated by the company Kensington.

All the buildings here were built by professional Korean hanok carpenters. The resort mixes new and old, and some of its suite rooms are equipped with Western-style beds for those who want a more modern hotel experience.

Summer delight bingsu (shaved ice) is available at Namwonyechon. [NAMWONYECHON]

To make the stay more eventful, guests can rent out hanbok, traditional Korean dress, to wear on the hotel premise. Guests can also play traditional games like yutnori, a Korean board game, or try learning pansori, a traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling or learn the most well-known folksong, "Arirang," with professionals playing gayageum, a traditional Korean stringed instrument, alongside.

The rooms start from 189,000 won per night.

www.kensington.co.kr/hnw/

BY LEE SUN-MIN [lee.sunmin@joongang.co.kr]