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Tuesday, 27th April 2010
I left my guesthouse early this morning for my long journey to Suwon where the Korean Folk Village was located. The village was recommended by J and since it was within the limits of a possible day excursion from Seoul, I decided to pay her a visit. Arriving at the Suwon Tourist Office at 9.20am, I was disappointed to learn that the first shuttle bus to the folk village was 10.30am. With more than an hour to spare, I decided to complete my half eaten breakfast at the Angel in Us Cafe. Ordered a hot coffee and a crab and egg mayo sandwich (weird combination).
I showed up faithfully at the Tourist Office at 10.25am for my shuttle. As there were only 4 of us for the 10.30am run, our bus was thus "upgraded" to a 4-wheel vehicle. The 30 minute journey was a breeze and we soon reached the confines of the village by 11am. This morning, with the exception of a few paying visitors (me included), the rest were school groups with kids probably around 10 years old.
I probably spent the next 3 hours exploring the grounds of the folk
village at a leisurely pace. This was probably not the best idea under the freezing weather. It was dotted with numerous traditional houses from the countryside. A number of Korean periodic dramas were filmed within the village confines including the 2003 MBC hit drama
Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace). Managed to catch the feats of the equestrian and the tightrope acrobatics in the afternoon.
Overall, the folk village made a good break from city life. However, unless you are into Korean folk history, you are unlikely to fully appreciate the meanings behind those traditions. I would give my take to the Korean War Memorial and the Olympic Museum anytime. Still, I did not consider my excursion to Suwon a wasted effort as it provided a glimpse of the Korean traditions under the same roof. For visitors on the go, the folk village did serve its intended purpose - to preserve and to educate.
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BILLY ROBERTS USAF RET
non-member comment
SUWON AB USAF
I WAS STATIONED AT SUWON AB 1953-54. THE VILLAGE WAS REALLY NOTHING TO SEE. BUT TIN SHACKS AND NO RUNNING WATER. +. I DO REMEMBER AN ARCHWAY LEADING OUT OF THE VILLAGE.PLENTY OF RICE FIELDS AND HONEY BUCKETS....