Cycle through South Korea’s villages and into a glorious past

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Have you ever pedaled your way into the past?

Have you ever pedaled your way into the past? Cycling across Korea can be a transformative experience, as you take in majestic mountains and a variety of beautiful landscapes. There are ancient villages that take one back in time, and incredible museums nestled in rural settings. You’ll feel that you’ve stumbled on something special, even as you encounter the same hospitality that has welcomed travelers for ages.

Having an authentic regional experience in Korea means local cuisine, free-flowing libations, and tradition-rich events that truly vary from village to village and region to region. You’ll see small towns in the hills and the valleys, along the rivers and in the flatlands. Some of these villages date back to the 14th or 15th centuries and the early Joseon Dynasty.

Two particular villages, Hahoe and Yangdong, are UNESCO World Heritage sites. These Confucian communities have beautiful pine homes built around courtyards, with sloping tile roofs that remind visitors of the mountains that surround the homes so snugly. Though they’re nestled in the mountains, villagers look out over a calm river that flows below. It’s hard to tell the man-made from the natural in village settings like these, and you can imagine the peace villagers feel every day.

Most of the residents of these villages come from one or two clans, and most of the Korean villages you will encounter where historical practices are preserved are “clan villages.” Yangdong is in the southeast of the Peninsula, and the families who live there trace their roots in the area back centuries or more. Families respect their patriarchs and family loyalty is extremely important in Confucian culture. Special ritual ceremonies include offerings of traditional sweets to the ancestors as a welcome and intricate calligraphy. These villages are considered to be the center of Confucian culture in all aspects of practice.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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