Last November, during my two months trip around Korea, I had the chance to visit a traditional rural village in Gurye County, in the South Jeolla Province. Ssangsanjae it’s an ensemble of fifteen traditional houses near the Jirisan Mountain and it’s surrounded by stunning gardens.
The village can be visited by paying the entrance 10.000 won and the price includes also an ice americano or a plum tea which you get at the entrance while the owner explains the history of the place you are going to visit. While drinking the beverage it is possible to walk in this magical place, which seems to be stopped at the time of his creation around 18th century. In fact, this village has been in the hands of its owners and their ancestors for generations.
The traditional old houses were created in the middle of the nature, there is also a huge bamboo forest that is divided in two parts by a beautiful stone path in the middle. When I visited the village, it was a Monday morning so I was the only foreigner and there were just few Korean elders around the place, it was a very calm day so the owner was so kind to explain what she could about the history both in English and in Korean.
The story of the village is very interesting, she said that it passed from generation to generation without changing his features, so it still has the look of a private garden in the late Joseon Dinasty. She also explained to me the different functions of each building, for example one building was used for women only while others were for men, there are main buildings, guest buildings, some are even dedicated to descendants of clan members.
Walking through the ancient paths, sipping coffee on the patio of these houses, taking off your shoes before going in and contemplating the silence interrupted just by the sound of the wind through the bamboo canes, makes you think that perhaps we are not so different from those who sat here many years ago.
Because of its rural and ancient buildings Ssangsanjae has also been the filming location of series such as “Alchemy of Souls” and a reality about Hanok-stay experiences: “Yoon Stay”.
I found this place to be a hidden gem that one could visit if headed towards Busan or the South of the country, not only see a very beautiful and historical place but also to find a moment of peace from the big cities and touristic attraction because of the calm nature of this village. It is not surprising that due to the peace of this place, it is thought that it was here that Doseon Guksa, a Buddhist monk, formulated the principles of Korean feng shui (Pungsu-jiri).
How about this article?
- Like16
- Support1
- Amazing4
- Sad0
- Curious0
- Insightful2
