Wanggok Hanok Village
Wanggok Hanok Village (왕곡 한옥마을; map) is filled with traditional hanok houses dating back hundreds of years. Surrounded by starry night skies and lush mountains near Songji Lake in Goseong County, the culturally protected village offers a glimpse into the life of Koreans during the late Joseon Dynasty (1392 ~ 1897) for visitors and guests of the Hanok Stay Program.
Let’s learn more!
History
At the end of the Goryeo Dynasty (918 ~ 1392), a royal scholar named Ham Buyeol (함부열) protested the ascension of the new Joseon Dynasty. He fled the western capital region, climbed over the Taebaek Mountains, and settled in Goseong County. Later, his grandson and members of the Choi family from Gangneung, founded today’s Wanggok Village.
Descendants from the Ham and Choi family stayed loyal to the village for centuries, rebuilding after Japanese invaders razed it to the ground during the Imjin Wars (1592 ~ 1598), and preserving its ancient style of life.
The village’s current buildings date back 200 years, preserving yangtong hanok houses (양통집) that originated from Hamgyong Province (함경도; map) in today’s North Korea. In 2000, Korea labeled the village “National Important Folk Material No. 235.”
In 2016, Wanggok Village served as the filming location of Dongju (동주), about the Korean poet Yun Dong-ju (윤동주) who lived during the Japanese Occupation (1910 ~ 1945). Movie producers chose Wanggok Village because its well-preserved hanoks best resembled the poet’s hometown in North Korea.
Near the village’s entrance, find a traditional confectionery shop made famous by “Kim Young-chul’s Neighborhood,” a TV show that examined small-town life in Korea.
Geography
These peaks form a bowl-shaped basin with Songji Lake, protecting the village from wildfires and the devastation of the Korean War (1950 ~ 53).
North of the village, Oeum Mountain, the largest of the five mountains, births Wanggok Stream (왕곡천). The waterway flows through the village, supporting the village’s ancient farmers with its fertile banks.
From above, the shape of Wanggok Village resembles a boat. According to Feng Shui, if residents dug a well into the earth, it would sink the village’s fortunes. So the village’s ancient residents relied on spring water until modern times.
Village Layout
Wanggok Village holds twenty yangtong houses (양통집) with tile-roofs and 30 thatched-roof houses. The density of these 200-year-old houses is rare in Korea.
Because the close-knit family members founded the community, the hanok houses don’t have gates at their entrances. Instead, gardens form boundaries, with open courtyards leading to the main village path.
Stroll up the town’s main street by Wanggok Stream and you’ll find piles of firewood used for heating, yellow flowers blooming on low stone walls.
Hanok Architecture
Because they are culturally protected and forbids renovations, many recognize the village’s yangtong hanoks for their historic and academic importance. Each shows how the Wanggok’s residents adapted to the hard winters of Gangwon State by including innovative design features:
- The houses’ entrances face southwest to block the frigid, snowy winds blowing in from the north.
- Builders used sturdy timber harvested from nearby mountains to block out frigid winds.
- Expansive courtyards with low fencing maximize sunlight and melt accumulating snow.
- The hanoks’ ceilings are designed without plaster to prevent condensation in winter, leaving the rafters exposed.
- The houses sit on raised foundations, lifting them off of frozen winter ground.
Yangtong architecture lays out the house’s main rooms in the shape of a “ㄱ” (a Hangul alphabet character). The house’s kitchen and attached barn lay at one end, with the master bedroom, storeroom, main hall, and guest room forming a perpendicular line.
The kitchen provides heat to the master bedroom. On the opposite end of the house, a separate hearth, equipped with an overhang to block snow and rain, provides warmth for the guest room.
The house’s backyard, accessible through the kitchen, includes high fencing that blocks winter winds and views from the main village path, providing a private space for women.
Each hanok house in Wanggok includes a chimney created by layering mud and tiles to form the shape of an overturned jar. The design prevents flames from reaching thatched roofs and guides heat back into the house.
Hanok Stay
Want to experience Wanggok’s ancient hanok houses? The village operates a Traditional Hanok Stay Experience that allows the public to stay in one of several houses and experience the life of a Korean village over 200-years ago.
Specifics
Wanggok Village Hanok Stay isn’t like sleeping at hotels or pensions. Because its houses are designated as important cultural properties, residents and guests are required to observe some simple rules:
- Every hanok is built from wood, so they are more flammable than contemporary houses. So heating is fully electric, cooking with open flames is prohibited, and indoor fireplaces are for display only.
- Permanent residents inhabit most of Wanggok Village’s other hanoks. So explore the village quietly and keep the noise level down at night.
Despite its age, visitors can still find modern amenities in and around the hanoks, including:
- TV and air conditioning in all rooms.
- Refrigerators in the main houses’ living rooms. (No fridge in the servant quarters rooms.)
- A detached outbuilding bathroom with flush toilets. There are no plumbing facilities inside the hanoks.
- The village keeps a marketplace and a cafe serving pancakes and makgeolli.
Here are a few more considerations when staying in Wanggok Village’s hanoks:
- All bedrooms are equipped with traditional bedding, which includes soft bedding lay on the floor. No raised beds.
- Due to the ancient construction of the hanoks, you may find insects inside the rooms.
- Reservation is required in advance.
Activities
Wanggok Village hasn’t just maintained its ancient houses for generations, but also its traditions. The village holds folk experiences on weekends from May to October, like:
- Making rice cakes, tofu, and traditional sweets.
- Playing Korean folk games, like hoop rolling and Tuho.
- Wine tasting and fingernail dying with balsam flowers.
- Participating in local customs, like eating nine bowls of rice and carrying nine loads of wood on the 14th day of the first lunar month.
- Watching small concerts in the hanok houses’ courtyards.
Fees
The Traditional Hanok Stay Experience includes accommodations for two, three, four, and even large groups of up to fifteen people. Fees range from ₩30,000 to ₩200,000 won during the off-season, and ₩60,000 to ₩250,000 won during the peak season.
