When you hear South Korea, the city that always comes to mind first is Seoul.
The second is Busan. Busan is more famous for the zombie movie ‘Train to Busan’ which recently appeared and the flood and typhoon that hit it on October 5, 2016. At that time I was in Seoul, thank God nothing happened there. Hopefully the victims and their families will be given the courage to endure the disaster.
Jeonju, a city between Seoul and Busan is actually quite popular among local South Korean tourists. But for foreign tourists is still a bit rarely heard. Maybe you also heard the name of this city for the first time huh?
Jeonju has many buildings of great historical value and delicious food. In 2012, Jeonju won the title of “Unesco City of Gastronomy”.
Bibimbap, a Korean dish in the form of rice, chopped vegetables, chili seasoning, and raw yellow eggs is one of Korea’s mainstays. You can find bibimbap anywhere in South Korea. But what you should know, Jeonju is the hometown of bibimbap! Yes, it’s like rendang in Indonesia, originally from West Sumatra, but you can still buy it even though it’s still in Papua, hehe.
I fell in love with this korean tile. Just look at the thick shape and unique texture. The houses that have roofs are usually in the Hanok Village (traditional village). The name is a village, but those who have houses like this in Korea were in the upper caste in ancient times. Some in the city center still have buildings like this. It is certain that the owner is very rich.
In terms of the number of Hanoks, Jeonju has the most stock compared to Seoul or Busan. And believe me, the place is very instagramable!
We came on a rainy morning. So the photos are a little cloudy here. From the gate, there is a path up the hill to see Jeonju Hanok Village from above.
If there was even a little sun, this would be a very fairytale scene.
It was a very busy day in Jeonju. Even though it’s Monday. After asking, only then did I know that it was a red day in South Korea. That day is the day Gaecheonjeol, the day Korea was founded.
There are many things you can do here besides eating. You can see traditional paper making or take a class to make paper crafts. Not like origami, but rather making small things such as ashtrays, glass, dolls decorated with paper.
But the interesting attraction here is that you can rent HanbokKorean traditional dress!
Look how handsome you are below in this dress. Like a royal tax officer who often bullies commoners HAHA!
To rent these clothes, the price ranges from 8000 – 15,000 won for one hour, depending on the type of clothes rented. Ordinary people’s clothes are certainly different from the clothes of the king.
In the middle of the village there is a temple called Gyeonggijeon. This temple was built in 1410 and restored in 1614. Inside is a painting of Yi Seong Gye, the founding father of the Joseon dynasty in Korea where he is originally from Jeonju.
Walking in Hanok using Hanbok is a challenge and a pleasure in itself. It felt like I was a king who was visiting my people’s houses. Unfortunately, most of the houses here have become cafes and restaurants.
Oh yes, just for info near Jeonju Hanok there is a mosque called the Abu Bakr As Siddiq Mosque. It’s about a 10 minute drive. Here I met Dr. Abdul Wahhab, an imam of this mosque who happened to be there when we visited. He even gave a short tausiah before we left, hihi.
The Muslim population in South Korea is around 150,000, of which about a quarter are native South Koreans. Most are based in the Itaewon area, Seoul. When I returned to Seoul and prayed Friday there, it turned out that Dr. Abdul Wahab this!
Furthermore, you can watch my vlog while there. Please click play below hihi.
Anyway, Jeonju is a very interesting little town to visit. For Seoul residents, this is the perfect weekend getaway. I suggest taking the time to come here if you visit South Korea to experience a very different atmosphere from Seoul.
Thank You!
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