Yangdong Folk Village — Attraction in Gyeongju-si

Wow a fascinating experience! So charming! I understand what the other reviewer said about being disappointed many houses being closed off- well, residents are still living there and of course they don’t want strangers coming inside their house. Yes some residents live sloppily and have garbage strewn, but what can you do- that is how they choose to live. Many of these residents are older folks and do not live fancy lives. Though they should be more understanding of tourists walking around to take photos. Also better signage is needed. Even with the map, it was quite confusing. And yes, it would be nice if they could open up some more of these homes and let us take a look inside. Surely they could use the entrance fee we pay to do this.

There are some famous houses you can enter and take photos, though a lot of interiors were closed. Many houses were converted into rental housing sadly. But it’s still a fascinating place. Korea has had much of it’s traditional structures razed and burned by the Japanese. It’s a marvel that this village still exists intact. And it is frankly charming. So charming. Little Korean hobbit homes. I loved it. Great photos. It’s quite vast and we spent 3 hours here and yet it wasn’t enough time. But we were tired after 3 hours. Stop by the tour guide shack and inquire if there are any tours. Bring a little snack in case you get hungry. I definitely would come back- I found the entire village to be...

This place sparked my interest since I’m interested in learning the history of the region/country.

We visited this place during the week and we had no issues parking our car on the free parking lot as it was almost empty.

When buying tickets - 4,000 Won per adult - we didn’t have to wait at all.

The village is nice with some very old buildings. I only wish some of the buildings would be more accessible/open to the public. Every building was basically closed for the public and you could only see the building and patios. All the shrines were closed off.

Some of the old buildings have a massive accumulation of garbage and personal things since people still live there. Sometimes there was so much garbage that we almost became disgusted about certain houses. One house had a little dog outside on a chain; the animal had no water and food and there was dog poop all over the place. The dog had no place to run since he was chained up (7 ft chain) and the only bit of shade he had was from his little dog house which was standing there in the burning sun!

If this is a cultural heritage site then I would expect better maintenance, more accessibility, and more respect to the land from the people that live there.

To be honest, one visit to this place was more than enough for me. I wouldn’t go back.

I took a bunch of pictures to try to get some of the beauty of...

Yangdong Folk Village is a must-visit UNESCO World Heritage Site if you're in Gyeongju. It is located pretty far up north, but there are buses that go to this place from the city centre. The village was founded by Son So (孫昭 1433–1484). There are English speaking local guides who will bring you around upon request (free!). The entrance fee was around ₩4,000~5,000 per pax from my memory.

Yangdong Folk Village also has one of the oldest trees in South Korea, of over 600 years (see my attached photos)! It felt absolutely majestic to see it up close.

Wikipedia: Yangdong Folk Village (Korean: 경주양동민속마을), or Yangdong Village of Gyeongju, is a traditional yangban (upper class) village from the Joseon dynasty. The village is located in Gangdong-myeon, sixteen kilometres northeast of Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, along the Hyeongsan River. Mt. Seolchang stands to the north of the village. The village is designated as Important Folklore Materials No. 189 by the South Korean government.

The size, degree of preservation, numerous cultural assets, traditionalism, beautiful natural setting all contribute to the importance of Yangdong Village. It is also a fine example of the yangban (Korean aristocracy) lifestyle and Neo-Confucian traditions.

The village is listed by the South Korean government with UNESCO as a World Heritage Site with Hahoe Folk...