Hahoe Village, as one of the hottest tourism destinations in Andong City, S.Korea, is the village from which the Ryu family originated and where its members have lived together for 600 years. It is a place where tile-roofed and straw-roofed houses have been quite well preserved for a long time. This village is especially well known as the birth place of Joseon Dynasty: the latter was prime minister during the period of the Japanese invasion (from 1592 to 1598).

The Nakdong River flows around the village in an S shape, which gave the village its name (ha means river and hoe means turning around). Some say Hahoe resembles two connected spirals called taeguek, and others see it as a lotus flower floating on the water, or a boatgliding on the river. Such geographical factors make it a very good place to live. As people thought so since the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty. Mt.Hwa, which originates from the Taebaek and is 327 meters high, is located in the eastern part of the village. Low hills of the mountain are stretched to the western parts of the village. On the highest area of the village stands a 600-year-old zelkova tree. As it is said that the god-dess Samsin resides in it, the tree is called Samsindang. With the great tree at the center, the houses face the river in various directions, in contrast to most houses in Korea that face south or southeast. Also, a unique characteristic is that straw-roofed houses are placed in a circular form around tile-roofed houses.

Hahoe has consered the Byeolsingut Mask Dance Play performed by the general public, and the Seonyujubul Nori-an activity enjoyed by the nobility called yangban, that includes fireworks and riding boats, Many other cultural heritages can also be found here. They clearly show traditional lifestyles and architecture of Koreans.

Andong city, the capital of the Korean Spirit, has a history of 5000 years. The most“Korean”city Andong is blessed with cultural elements from every period of Korean history: The wooden artifacts preserve the memories of the past, Korean folk culture has been integrated to the daily life. Moreover, spiritual philosophies such as Buddhism, Confucianism and Christianity have accumulated here over the centuries like layers of sedimentary rock. Understanding Andong means understanding Korean culture. The city is a place for the tourist to experience how the past and the future coexist in harmony.

（Photograph by Fang Pei)